HYDERABAD, July 4: The working committee of the Rs10.5 billion Hyderabad development package has been reconstituted by the Sindh governor.

Official sources told this correspondent here on Sunday that the terms of reference of the working committee would also be redrafted to enable it to accomplish its various tasks.

They said several decisions, including the reconstitution of the 11-member working committee, had been taken at a recent meeting. The working committee would now be headed by the Sindh minister/adviser to the chief minister on local bodies and kutchi abadis. Earlier, the committee was headed by the Sindh finance minister.

The former Sindh Auqaf and religious affairs minister, former adviser to the chief minister on home affairs, district naib nazim and the former Sindh minister for sports, who were previously members of the committee, have not been taken in the new working committee.

However, DCO Mohammad Hussain Syed, who has been appointed as the package's project director till a permanent project director is appointed, would continue to be the member and secretary of the working committee.

The additional chief secretary, local government, is the co- chairperson of the committee whereas other members of the committee include additional chief secretary, development, finance secretary or in his absence additional finance secretary, a representative of 5-corps headquarters, district nazim, project director, consultant of the package, chief of the planning and development department and the director general, monitoring, planning and development department.

The meeting had decided that the selection of consultants would be done by July 15, 2004, by a selection committee. The sources said recommendations of the selection committee would be submitted to the working committee in one week.

The consultants will establish their main office in Hyderabad which would be facilitated by the district government with provision of accommodation and other necessary infrastructure.

The additional chief secretary, planning and development, will prepare terms and conditions and eligibility criteria for the post of the project director in consultation with the additional chief secretary, development, to be placed before the working committee for approval before floating an advertisement in newspapers.

The meeting also approved schedule for advertisements that are due on July 20 and a letter to a suitable candidate would be issued by August 18. The Sindh chief secretary will hold a follow-up conference on July 16 to monitor/review progress with regard to appointment of consultants and the project director and other decisions.

The governor's principal secretary will be the focal person of the development project to facilitate dispensation and remove bottlenecks that may occur during the course of implementation of project schemes.