KARACHI, Jan 1: The Governor Sindh, Dr Ishratul Ibad, has directed the concerned officials to devise a comprehensive plan for shifting truck stands and markets of timber, grains and auto parts to suitable locations, outside the city.

Presiding over a high-level meeting at the Governor's House on Saturday, he said that these businesses had witnessed a rapid growth, with the population rise, and it had; therefore, become important that their traders be provided with adequate facilities, he added.

The Executive District Officer (EDO) Revenue apprised the governor that land for the truck stand had been proposed near the Northern Bypass, while plots for other businesses, markets would also be identified soon.

The meeting also reviewed steps for revival of the Surjani Town Housing Scheme. The concerned officials informed the governor about the decisions taken in the previous meetings and his visits to the area.

Officials of the KESC informed the meeting that eight service centres were being established in Surjani and adjacent areas of North Karachi and they would be made functional soon. "Efforts are underway to ensure supply of electricity to residents of Sectors 4, 5 and 7 of the housing scheme," they told the meeting.

The EDO (Works) said that a sector-wise development plan had been chalked out and a network of 17.5 km roads had been completed, while a PC-1 for further 25 km roads was under preparation. The PC-1 of one side of the 10,000 Road had also been completed.

Nazim of the concerned town told the meeting that water supply pipelines were being laid down.

The governor asked all town administrations to work in close coordination with the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board in connection with water and sewerage projects, so that there could be set up a uniform system of water and sewerage in the city.

The meeting was informed that water supply to Sectors 4, 5, 7 and 8 would start in the next six months. The governor stressed an early completion of projects of water, electricity, roads and transport.

Mr Ibad regretted that despite the fact that thousands of people were allotted plots in Surjani Town years back, they could not be still settled there due to non-existence of basic civic facilities.

He said, "The people should be informed about development work being done here, and a policy be chalked out to recover dues from them," he said. He stressed that the scheme must be completed in six months.

The City Nazim Niamatullah Khan, Sindh Minister for Planning and Development, Shoaib Bukhari, Adviser to Chief Minister on Local Government Waseem Akhtar, MPA Mohammad Hussain and officials of civic agencies were present. - PPI