SUKKUR, May 17: Sindh Chief Minister Ali Mohammad Mahar has said the roads, being constructed throughout the province, will help promote socio economic activities.

He was talking to journalists at the ground-breaking ceremony of widening and repairing the road from Khanpur Mahar to Ghulam Bund, near here on Saturday.

He said the road would facilitate the people of Ghotki, Khairpur and Sukkur districts.

He said different projects in power and road sectors had been initiated which would bring about development in the province.

About the ban on employment, the chief minister said it would be lifted in July and 25,000 youths would be recruited in health, education and police departments.

He said his government was determined to eliminate poverty, illiteracy, and unemployment in Sindh.

Referring to the district government system, Mr Mahar said funds for carrying out development schemes would be given to union and taluka councils so as to relieve district governments of the additional burden of distribution of funds. This would also resolve monetary problems of union and taluka councils, he added.

He hailed Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali and President Gen Pervez Musharraf for sanctioning Rs1 billion for the development of Thar, where a coal power plant was being constructed by a Chinese firm.

He said the power plant would generate 600 mega watts electricity in the first phase and its capacity would later be extended to 6,000 mega watts.

He said a road from Karachi to Islam Kot (Thar) would be constructed with a Rs1 million grant, announced by the president.

The chief minister gave an assurance that problems confronting the people would soon be resolved.

About the May 15 bomb blasts at different petrol pumps in Karachi, Mr Mahar said several suspects had been arrested.

He said the blasts were an anti-state activity, aimed at creating harassment among foreign investors and refraining them from investing in the country.

He said the culprits would be dealt with an iron hand and they would not be allowed to continue their activities.

Mr Mahar said provincial and federal governments were making efforts to encourage foreign and domestic investment.

Speaking on the occasion, the Sindh minister for mine and mineral development, Usman Malkani, said development projects were also being carried out in other districts of the province.

Earlier in his welcome speech, Sukkur District Nazim Syed Nasir Hussain Shah informed the chief minister about the problems of his area.

He thanked Mr Mahar for establishing a medical college in Sukkur. He said classes in the college would soon be started.

About the shortage of water in Patni, the Nazim called for supplying water to the area to save crops from being destroyed.

Mr Mahar also visited the Health Technicians’ School at the Sukkur Civil Hospital and the site of the Sukkur medical college.