KARACHI, Jan 6: Around Rs1.442 billion have been released for the national draining programme in Sindh, Rs800 million out of which have already been transferred to the districts.

This was observed in a meeting held on Thursday at the Chief Minister's House to review the watercourse cement-lining programme in the province. The meeting was chaired by the Chief Minister, Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, and also attended by the Federal Minister for Industries, Jahangir Khan Tareen.

The meeting was also informed that as many as 258 watercourses would be lined with cement in the Sindh province. Approval in this regard had already been sought.

The meeting was informed that 3,258 applications had been received for the lining of watercourses in the province. A survey of 950 watercourses had been completed and designs chalked out for 648 of them.

Approval was given to the lining of 258 watercourses, while earth work on 106 courses had already been started. Construction work on 20 watercourses was in progress, and the lining of only one watercourse had been completed, the meeting was further told.

Under the national draining programme, 4,615 vacancies were to be filled on contract basis, advertisements for which were placed in June 2004, and interviews were conducted by the Bahria University.

It was said that the selected employees would undergo training in Feb 2005, following which they would be deputed in the end of April 2005. The meeting was informed that consultants would also be appointed for the programme. Also under the programme, some 2,326 motorcycles, eight pickups and furniture articles would be procured at a cost of Rs57 million. - PPI/APP