HYDERABAD, July 27: The Chief Secretary, Sindh, K.B. Rind, has said it has been decided to launch a phase-wise anti-bandit operation in different districts and an inter-provincial meeting has been held to coordinate in the elimination of bandits.

He was talking to newsmen at the meet the press programme of the local press club on Saturday.

Rind said his priorities were to improve working of the irrigation department and to ensure judicious distribution of water with special emphasis on the supply to tail-end users as well as to streamline working of the health, education and other social sector departments.

He said priority was being given to the development of the province by implementing the Khushhal Pakistan Programme and annual development programme in letter and in spirit.

He said the focus was on the completion of development schemes in the stipulated period. He said it was logical to complete those schemes which had been left halfway for want of a few hundreds of thousands rupees.

He said as a matter of policy, he had made it a routine to meet the public for one hour without any previous appointment and had issued similar instructions to the DCOs and the DPOs.

He did not agree with a questioner that some development schemes were being commissioned at the behest of the Sindh government, claiming the schemes were identified by the district councils.

Answering a question about the preparation of the budgets of the district governments by the Sindh government, chief secretary Rind and local government secretary Qamaruzzaman said since the new system was only one year old, a model budget was prepared by the government for every district. Zaman said it was the prerogative of the district governments to drop or include any scheme in the budget.

When the attention of the secretary local government was drawn to the perennial protest of local bodies employees against non-payment of salaries, he said that the president had taken a notice and issued directives that the entire amount of 2.5 percent GST should be transferred to the provinces.

Answering another question about Sindh’s share, Zaman said previously the province was getting Rs5.68 billion out of Rs18 billion but now its share would be increased for which a formula was being worked out.

He said that salaries of the local bodies employees, including enhanced payment, had already been released on Friday.

Answering a question whether he had been appointed at the recommendation of the Sindh Democratic Alliance, the chief secretary retorted his appointment was made by the establishment division not at the behest of the SDA.

About the threats being issued to the elected Nazims by the Sindh ministers, he said neither nobody, except the district councils, had any authority to take any action against the Nazims.

The chief secretary and the local government secretary also did not agree with a question the taluka municipal administrations or other local councils did not enjoy any financial powers. They said their powers had been clearly defined in the local government rules.