KARACHI, Oct 1: A central information technology cell will be set up at the Civic Centre Secretariat of City Government Karachi having link with 18 towns of the City.

A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting held under the chairmanship of City Nazim, Naimatullah Khan.

The meeting was attended by EDO IT, Khawaja Shafiq Ahmed, DO IT Mushtaq Rizvi, Mumtazul Huq, Khalid Faheem Khan and other officials and IT consultants.

The meeting was informed that tenders and other information is being given through the CDGK-web site and main computers have been purchased for the central IT cell and software is being developed.

EDO Khawaja Shafiq Ahmed informed that work on computerisation of birth and death applications and plots is in progress. The meeting considered the computerisation of plot challans and establishment of an IT Centre at Korangi Civic Centre.

Nazim Karachi spoke about the necessity of establishment of an IT University in Karachi in view of growing population and modern needs of the world. He called for carrying out planning in this regard and said if there were any hurdles, the same be removed.

He directed that work on the university be started immediately. The meeting was told that there was a shortage of technical staff in the IT department due to ban on recruitment as a result of which the pace of work is suffering. -APP