KARACHI, April 3: There is a vast potential to alleviate poverty in Sindh, provided cottage industry is developed for producing quality goods followed by its marketing in the urban centres like Karachi, Hyderabad, Lahore and Rawalpindi.

This was stated by chairman of the Sindh Governor’s Inspection, Enquiries and Implementation Team, Brig (retd) A.S. Nasir, who is also the convener of the Society Forum on Poverty Alleviation, at a press conference here on Wednesday.

He said the quality of embroidery works on caps, scarfs, ajraks and other traditional models in brass, copper and pottery, which reflect rich cultural heritage of the province and that of the Moenjodaro civilization, was inferior and could not cater to the needs of the urban centres.

He highlighted the programme which the government had chalked out to eliminate poverty in the province. He said the international donor agencies had granted an aid of $ 1.3 billion for the current year and to eradicate poverty, the provincial government had decided to adopt non-traditional approach, including granting of interest-free loans for five years to artisans to develop the cottage industry and produce quality items to fetch better return for their produce.

Giving an example, he said if 1,000 cottage industries in Mithi district were provided a loan of Rs0.2 million each, their living conditions could change for the better.

He said a two-day seminar would be organized under the Civil Society Forum on Poverty Alleviation at the Governor’s House on April 17, in which speakers from 23 universities, both from public and private sectors, would identify different ways to counter poverty.

The papers presented at the seminar would be published in a form of a book by the University of Karachi to serve as a reference for Khushhal Pakistan.

In reply to a question, Brig Nasir said the services of university faculties had never been utilized for identifying problems and means to overcome obstacles and mostly retired bureaucrats or those who had lost touch with ground realities were relied upon in the past.

He said the university faculties could come out with ideas to improve economic conditions in the province.