KARACHI, Jan 8: Despite the availability of required funds, work on the extension of Rehabilitation Centre for Mentally Handicapped Children (RCMHC) — the only institution of its kind in Lyari — could not be started over the last three years.

The construction work on the project, approved by the provincial Social Welfare Department, pertained to an additional floor on the same site.

Located near the Lyari General Hospital, the centre had been established after vigorous efforts by the people of Lyari, social workers and several NGOs but the inordinate delay in the completion of the extension work has been causing frustration and disappointment among them as well as the parents and guardians of mentally retarded children.

It is learnt that an amount of Rs1.244 million was approved for the project by the Sindh government in 2001. Later, the scheme was also approved by the PDWP and eventually included in the Annual Development Programme 2002-2003.

It is also learnt that 50 per cent of the funds have already been released to the City government for the execution of the project but the work has still not been started.

A senior social worker of the locality, Abdul Majeed Mandi, approached the Nazim of Lyari Town requesting him to take up the issue with Naimatullah Khan, Nazim of Karachi.

He told the Town Nazim that there was no justification for the inordinate delay in undertaking the work.

The Town Nazim has since written a letter to the City Nazim requesting due consideration to this project of public interest.

It may be mentioned here that repeated calls by the people of Lyari, social workers and NGOs to the relevant authorities in this regard have proved unsuccessful as they have so far paid no serious attention to the people’s sufferings.