HYDERABAD, Aug 5: The Hyderabad District Council was informed on Thursday that non-release of funds of sugar cess by the Sindh government was the reason for delay in completion of road development projects.

The EDO, works and services, Habibur Rehman Memon, while responding to questions of members regarding incomplete works of 2002-03, told the council that contractors were not completing the schemes due to the non-release of the funds.

However, council members complained that contractors used substandard material in the works and called for blacklisting them. In Tando Mohammad Khan, Tando Allahyar and Hyderabad taluka (rural) areas, most of the works were to be completed from the sugar cess funds.

Khuda Dino Shah called for completion of work on a bridge before the start of the sugarcane crushing season as he said sugarcane was transported to mills through this bridge.

Ghulam Hussain Magsi alleged that the funds had been embezzled. He said record of the last two years should be checked as wrong measurements had been given to contractors by officials. He said in one case, against a contract of Rs1 million, Rs1.8 million was paid.

The EDO told the council that of Rs140 million, Rs80.5 million had been utilized. He said another Rs1 million - saving of last year - had also been released and the works would be completed soon.

He said it had been noticed that of the allocated funds, 50 to 52 per cent funds had been released by the Sindh government. Mr Memon maintained that out of 59 schemes of sugar cess, 26 had been completed.

He said the phase-IV of the Khushhal Pakistan Programme had been completed and it was to be decided whether to continue the programme or not. The EDP said Rs6 million allocated for the Shaikh Bhirkio road was saved as the road was being constructed by the Sindh government. He added that this amount would be re-appropriated.

When Dilshad Khan alleged that substandard material was being used in the Mohammad Ali Johar road scheme, the EDO said he would not make payment to the contractor if it proved correct.

Yousuf Qureshi also complained of use of substandard material in works in his union council. Sher Mohammad Pirzada called for blacklisting the contractor of his area where he said work had been delayed. He also complained that the EDO, works, was not handing over a pumping station to the Latifabad Taluka Municipal Administration for the last two years.