HYDERABAD, April 10: The progress of maintenance and repair schemes of education works and building departments of the district government was discussed at a meeting here on Saturday. The schemes were started under annual allocation of Rs60.495 million. DCO Mohammad Hussain Syed presided over the meeting. The meeting also discussed the status of 24 schemes of improvement and construction being implemented by the Sindh highways department under annual allocation of Rs214.526 million.

The DCO called upon the officials concerned to expedite the pace of development works and ensure completion of schemes within the stipulated period.

He said surprise visits would be paid by him or his nominated officers to ensure the quality of work.

He assured the officials of smooth releases of development funds and said difficulties in getting development funds should be identified so that they could be resolved to ensure uninterrupted development works.

DO (roads) Zafar Jatoi said 70 schemes were taken into hand during the current financial year under the annual allocation of Rs40.400 million.

He said against this amount, Rs29.362 million were released to the department and an amount of Rs34.060 million was utilized till date.

Mr Jatoi said an additional amount of Rs2.1795 million was also required to clear old liabilities.

He said the remaining work would be completed by the end of current financial year subject to release of funds in time.

DO (education works) Nusrat Pervaiz Mughal said against the annual allocation of Rs22 million Rs15.7 million were released to the department for repair and maintenance of 144 schools.

He said, of the released amount, Rs13.23 million had been utilized while release of Rs7 million against the annual allocation was awaited.

DO (buildings) Ghaffar Buriro said 75 schemes of repair and maintenance pertaining to health, fisheries and general administration were taken into hand against annual allocation of Rs18.95 million.

Mr Buriro said an amount of Rs14.00 million was released to the department, of which Rs10.016 million so far had been utilized till date and remaining amount of allocation would be utilized before the end of financial year.

AEN (Sindh highways) Ghulam Shabbir Memon said as many as 24 schemes including 13 of improvement, six of construction and five of combined schemes were started at the estimated cost of Rs1363.0646 million during the financial year 2004-05.

He said against the annual allocation of Rs214.526 million, Rs186.526 million were released to the department, of which Rs124.311 million had been utilized till date as such work progress stood at 70 per cent.

He said the work was being done efficiently and would be completed within the stipulated period.

The DCO urged the management of the Sindh highways department for early completion of widening and improvement work of the National Highway portion from the Qasim chowk to Rani Bagh.

The DCO called upon the development works executing agencies to fully concentrate on the development work recommended by the public representatives.

The EDO works and service, EDO finance and planning and officers development works executing agencies attended the meeting.