THATTA, Oct 29: The District Development Committee, in a meeting on Saturday, approved Rs268.6 million for the uplift of district’s social sector under the annual development plan and citizen’s community boards.

The meeting was chaired by the committee head MPA Mohammad Usman Jalbani and attended by Provincial Minister for Prisons Sadiq Ali Memon, MNA Dr Abdul Wahid Soomro, MPA Humera Alwani, Ms Heer Sohu, Dewan Chetan Mal Arvani, Ghulam Qadir Palijo and others.

Secretary of the committee, DCO Mohammad Jafar Abbasi briefed the meeting about development schemes.

The meeting approved the release of Rs136.6 million for projects being executed through community development and works and services department. Under this programme, the district government provides 80 per cent of funding for a development scheme and the community bears 20 per cent of total cost.

The meeting decided to spend Rs110 million on schemes to be recommended by 11 elected representatives of the district with a share of Rs100 million to each legislator, while Rs28.6 million would be utilised on schemes recommended by four members belonging to private sector.

The EDO (works and services) Shafiq Rehman Khumbhati told the meeting that Rs130 million would be utilised for social sector development under the annual development plan (ADP). The meeting decided that out of the ADP allocation, Rs25 million would be utilised on the development of Thatta town and Rs105 million on rest of the district.

The meeting reviewed the progress of work of two mega projects of Sindh culture department namely Doolah Darya Khan public park to be established at a cost of Rs92 million and a cultural complex being constructed at a cost of Rs60 million.

Minister Memon took serious view of the conditions of the roads in the district and said the maintenance was not being carried out properly by the concerned department which had made the roads inaccessible.

He said that the wild growth of plants along the roads was causing problems.

The meeting fixed November 20 deadline for removal of unwanted plants from roadsides and warned the officers concerned of stern action if the progress was not shown.

The EDO works told the meetings that Rs280 million were being utilised on the maintenance and repair of educational institutions, including schools in flood-hit areas.

The meeting also reviewed the progress of health, irrigation, drainage and education projects.