KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday said that the next Annual Development Programme (ADP) of the province would be public welfare-oriented in which schemes to contain the coronavirus pandemic, revival of economy, poverty reduction and empowerment of women would be launched.

He said this while presiding over a meeting to finalise the ADP for the next financial year 2021-22 here at CM House.

The meeting was attended by provincial ministers, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Planning and Development chairperson Shireen Narejo, CM’s secretary Sajid Jamal Abro, finance secretary and others.

The CM while giving final touches to next year’s ADP told the departments that they must complete their ongoing schemes, which had been provided 100 per cent funding.

The CM asks transport minister to expedite work on bus rapid transit projects in Karachi

The schemes on which 50pc funds had been utilised would be given priority in the next budget, he said.

He said that poverty in the country had increased due to the coronavirus pandemic that hit the economy hard. “We will launch community development programmes to reduce poverty and relief would be given to small businessmen for revival of their business,” he said.

Infectious disease hospitals

He said that the containment of Covid-19 would be given priority in the next budget’s schemes.

“We are going to establish infectious disease hospitals in other divisional headquarters,” he said and added that the entire population of the province would be vaccinated.

Mr Shah said that the education sector had suffered a lot due to the pandemic and the government would launch a scheme to modernise the education system so that educational activities could be continued without any interruptions.

He said that in the rural areas, apart from development of agriculture sector, schemes would be launched to promote fisheries and livestock development.

He said that the government would encourage people in the rural areas to involve themselves in fisheries and livestock, which got better returns against small investment.

He was informed about various ongoing schemes including nine in the Sindh Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (Stevta), two in women development department, five in culture and tourism department, 14 in the home department and seven and five in the livestock and fisheries departments, respectively.

Mr Shah directed all the departments to focus on completion of the ongoing schemes in the next financial year.

He directed the transport minister to speed up launching and completion of the Orange, Yellow and Red lines of the bus rapid transit system in Karachi.

He also directed the departments to sit with the P&D department to finalise their development priorities so that the next portfolio could be finalised for budget 2021-22.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2021