KARACHI, Dec 4: Sindh governor Mohammedmian Soomro has issued directive for expediting the pace of development works and their completion within the specified timeframe.

Presiding over a meeting of the provincial cabinet at the Sindh secretariat, the governor made it plain that any slackness in the completion of schemes would not be tolerated.

He urged the heads of concerned departments, Nazims of the local government and other responsible persons to ensure completion of these schemes through mutual coordination and community association.

He also called for expediting the process of privatization and asked the concerned departments to be in better coordination with the privatization committee.

The cabinet decided to adopt a transparent procedure for renewal of lease expiring in the recent years and in this regard the Board of Revenue was asked to submit its concrete recommendations at the next cabinet meeting. The cabinet also decided to review the lease granted in the past illegally and at reduced rate.

Additional chief secretary Shahzado Shaikh informed the cabinet that the government had decided to provide grant for repair of school buildings under the programme of relief provision to areas hit by drought and earthquake.

Under this programme anti-snake serum is also being provided.

He informed that under the federal government’s IT Education Programme a centre of excellence would be established in Karachi.

He said the federal government was providing 10000 computers to Sindh free of charge which would be used in government educational institutions under the E-Government Programme.

The cabinet took serious note of delay in the execution of development schemes in the province as according to the progress report presented before it, about 238 ongoing schemes remained unexecuted despite release of funds.

The meeting was informed that there was nil expenditure in respect of these schemes though the funds were released in time. Moreover, out of 34 new schemes included in the Annual Development Program, 33 schemes with an allocation of Rs704.00 million are yet to be approved.

The expenditure for the ADP schemes from July to September 2001 was Rs351.535 million or 6 percent low of allocated amount and 25.7 per cent of the funds released. The progress for the month of October 2001 has however registered an increase of Rs.109.549 million, it was told.

The cabinet was further informed that there were eight ongoing foreign aided projects reflected in the ADP 2001-02 pertaining to the communication & works department, health department, education department, housing & town planning department, local govt, rural development & Katchi Abadis department.

Regarding the progress achieved up to 18.1020001 on various projects launched under the Khushhal Pakistan Programme (KPP) the cabinet was informed that under the KPP Phase-I in all 380 schemes were taken-up out of which 376 schemes (99%) had been completed.

Regarding KPP Phase-II, 1024 schemes costing Rs2622 million were approved. The cabinet was informed that in all 423 schemes had so far been completed.—APP/PPI