KARACHI, May 27: The provincial government allocated an amount of Rs3,874.293 million during 2002-03 for 613 development schemes to be implemented in 16 districts of under the Annual Development Programme while Rs3,125.707 million were earmarked for the implementation of 258 schemes on provincial basis.
Chief Secretary K. B. Rind, referring to a report of a high level meeting, told newsmen at his office that a total of Rs7,000 million were set aside for 871 schemes altogether.
Giving a breakup, he said that at district level, Rs432.293 million were allocated for 67 schemes of Hyderabad, Rs240 million for 59 schemes of Dadu, Rs191 million for 25 schemes of Thatta, Rs193 million for 23 schemes of Badin, Rs208 million for 35 schemes of Mirpurkhas, Rs200 million for 34 schemes of Sanghar, Rs192 million for 17 schemes of Tharparkar, Rs148.838 million for 22 schemes of Sukkur, Rs168 million for 41 schemes of Nawabshah, Rs171 million for 22 schemes of Naushehro Feroz, Rs184 million for 24 schemes of Khairpur, Rs167 million for 22 schemes of Ghotki, Rs231 million for 32 schemes of Larkana, Rs141 million for 16 schemes of Shikarpur, Rs197 million for 39 schemes of Jacobabad and Rs810 million for 130 schemes of Karachi.
About the Drought Emergency Relief Assistance (DERA) programme, the CS said that it would be completed in 2004. Under this programme. he added, schemes had been chalked out for 13 districts of Karachi, Thatta, Dadu, Badin, Mithi, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Khairpur, Ghotki, Jacobabad, Larkana, Naushehro Feroz and Sukkur.
The provincial government had provided Rs1,232.633 million till February 2003 while 576 schemes were at different stages of their completion. Reports regarding the remaining schemes will be presented in the next meeting of Secretaries Committee.
BUDGET MEETING: The priorities and planning targets for the budget 2003-04 were discussed in detail at a meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sardar Ali Mohammed Mahar at the CM House on Tuesday.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Mahar said that next budget would be the ‘budget of poor people’ in which no new tax would be levied. “It will be a people-friendly budget,” he declared.
During the next fiscal, a network of development schemes would be laid in the province and budgetary priorities would focus on education, health, water supply, roads, tourism, agriculture, promotion of information technology, provision of equipment and medicines to hospitals, etc., the CM told the meeting.
The meeting considered enhancement of funds for Sindh projects initiated under the federal government’s special development programme. It also reviewed development projects undertaken with the assistance of the federal government.
It approved Rs87 million for Thar coal project and decided that in the next year, 870 villages would be energized.
The CM directed that dialysis machines, cardiology equipment and medicines be made available at all the district hospitals. It was decided that vigilance committees would be constituted to monitor the supply of medicines and ensure proper treatment facilities at the hospitals.—APP