KARACHI, Nov 15: Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad has said that the work on Education City project must start in a month or two. He stated this while chairing a high-level meeting during which the impediments in the way of development of Education City on 9,000 acres in Deh Chuhar came under discussion. The meeting also reviewed matters related to the infrastructure for the Education City, development works, coordination between the city government, board of revenue as well as stakeholders and utility service providers.

The governor emphasised the need for having governance structure for the Education City project as well as preparation of its Master Plan. He asked the chief secretary to hold a meeting with the stakeholders and various utility service providers to discuss the issues identified in the meeting as well as proposals of stakeholders before the end of this month where after he would hold another follow-up meeting to take decisions to accelerate the pace of work.

“Let us come up first with a governance system and review the problems,” he said and directed that sites be identified for water, gas, electricity, telephone near the Education City.

Earlier, the EDO Master Plan giving a presentation on development of Education City said that the objective for its establishment was to bring various education and health institutions together.

He said that over 1500 acres of land had been granted while applications were in process for grant of another 1900 acres.

The chancellor of Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology, Z.A. Nizami, pointed out various problems in the way of development of this city and said that mere allotment of land would serve no purpose.

He said there should be a Master Plan for the project to facilitate the stakeholders as well as providers of utility services. Besides, timeframe would be the most important factor to start work immediately as already four years have passed to allotment of land.

Shamsh Kassem Lakha also supported the need for having an elaborate Master Plan for the project.

City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal, Principal Secretary Saleem Khan, stakeholders including Z.A. Nizami, Shamsh Kassem Lakha, Shahid Aziz Siddiqi besides Senior Member Board of Revenue Syed Anwar Haider, Secretary Education Sabhago Khan Jatoi, DCO Fazlur Rehman, MD Water Board Brig Iftekhar Hyder, EVP PTCL Nafis Siddiqi, EDO Revenue, Member Land Utilization, Khalid Mahmood Soomro and other officials attended the meeting.

Meanwhile, the governor said that anti-polio efforts would be strengthened to attain the mission of zero polio prevalence in the province.

He was chairing a high-level meeting at the Governor’s House in which ongoing anti-polio measures were reviewed. The meeting was attended by Rotary International Polio-plus Committee Chairman Dr Robert Scott, noted industrialist Aziz Memon and others.

He stressed on greater awareness regarding anti-polio measures at all levels and participation of concerned people and organisations in the campaign. In this regard, he particularly directed education department to extend all out cooperation to organisations associated with anti-polio activities.

The governor appreciated the cooperation of Rotary and other local and international organisations and said that industrial concerns and private hospitals too were being associated with the drive.

Dr Robert Scott appreciated the governor’s personal interest in this matter and the ongoing steps being taken against polio in the province. He stressed on increased efforts for the attainment of desired objectives.

The meeting was informed that 64th round of anti-polio campaign was in progress in Sindh, where seven confirmed polio cases among immigrants from other provinces had also been reported. These include five from Balochistan and one each from the NWFP and Punjab.

Ishratul Ibad said that elected representatives and local governments had also been activated in the campaign. He said that better results could be achieved by fully involving the education department in this campaign.

BAGH IBN-I-QASIM: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan said on Wednesday that Bagh Ibn-i-Qasim would provide high standard recreational facilities not only to Karachiites, but people from other areas of the country.

“I congratulate the people of Karachi and also the city government, headed by City Nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal, that such a beautiful park has been constructed and this speaks of the city government's performance.”

He was talking to journalists during his visit to Pakistan's biggest Bagh Ibn-i-Qasim constructed under Clifton Beach Development Project on 130 acres. During his visit, he was accompanied by the Karachi-based consuls general of Muslim and other countries.

The governor also reviewed renovation work of Kothari Parade and appreciated the same.He described Bagh Ibn-i-Qasim a glorious gift of the city government and praised the efforts of Naziim Mustafa Kamal.

On the occasion, consuls-general of UK, France and Arab countries congratulated Dr Ishratul Ibad and Syed Mustafa Kamal.—APP