HYDERABAD, Feb 19: Sindh Minister for Public Health Engineering Adil Siddiqui has said that various development schemes of water supply and drainage have been taken into hand at a cost of Rs2.4 billion and the officers concerned have been directed to complete the schemes by the end of current financial year.

Speaking at a reception hosted for journalists at circuit house, he said that under a project 1,158 schemes of filter plants were being implemented. He said that each union council would be provided at least one filter plant to provide safe drinking water to the people. He said that the purpose of the project was to prevent waterborne diseases among the masses. He said that the government was committed to serving people without any discrimination therefore no scheme approved by the previous government had been abandoned or withdrawn.

He said that his ministry was busy in preparing feasibility of development schemes of next financial year.

Lauding joint efforts of the Sindh and Hyderabad district government for development of the district, he said that that the spirit and understanding would bring rural areas at par with urban areas.

Speaking on the occasion, Hyderabad District Nazim Kanwar Naveed Jamil said that many development schemes were in progress in Hyderabad to provide basic facilities to its inhabitants.

MNA Salahuddin expressed the hope that Hyderabad would be developed and converted into a model district. He appreciated the efforts of the provincial government for development of Hyderabad.

District Naib Nazim Zafar Rajput, DCO Aftab Ahmed Khatri, Director-General, public health engineering department, Shabbir Ahmed Bhurgari and members of the Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry attended the reception.

Meanwhile, Mr Siddiqui attended a meeting of officers of his department at the office of chief engineer, public health engineering department, to review ongoing development schemes and discuss development schemes of the future.

The meeting discussed present status of ongoing development schemes and expressed satisfaction over the pace of development work.

The minister directed the officers concerned to ensure that the schemes were completed in stipulated period. He directed them to be vigilant while preparing future plan of development to avoid overlapping.

Later, the minister with officers of the department visited different sites where he inspected ongoing development works.