LARKANA, June 1: The Sindh government has in principal decided to dissolve the Larkana Development Authority (LDA) under the power devolution plan, Dawn learnt here on Saturday on good authority.
A summery to this effect had already been sent to the Sindh governor by the concerned department and by the end of June, the LDA would stand no more, sources said.
The fate of the seven employees, working permanently with the LDA, hangs in balance as under devolution of power plan they would have to go to the surplus pool.
On the other hand, those who joined the LDA on deputation are not worried as they are supposed to return to their parent departments.
Sindh secretary of housing and town planning, Aijaz Qazi, recently had a marathon meetings with the director general of the LDA and Larkana DCO to discuss the ifs and buts of the dissolution of the authority.
It was decided in the meeting that Rs33 million of the LDA would be spent on completing the remaining portion of a ring road around Larkana City.
The meeting also studied the option of sending the LDA staff to taluka municipal offices in the district.
The LDA was established in 1994 for development, improvement and beautification of the urban areas of Larkana District. However, it witnessed ups and downs with the changes of governments.
Since its inception the LDA had executed 27 development schemes, sources said and added that it had completed only 11 projects
Recently Rs:48 million had been released to the LDA, sources said.
TAXES REJECTED: The Sindh chapter of the All Pakistan Organizaiton of Small Traders and Cottage Industries has rejected the new taxes proposed by the Larkana Taluka Council and also called for a development package for the district.
In a press statement here on Saturday, Sindh chief of the APOSTCI, Mashooq Jatoi said that 300 per cent rise in taxes spoke of the reality of power devolution plan which aimed at imposing new taxes.
The small traders, objecting over the taxes, had submitted proposals with the taluka council, Jatoi said.
PROTEST HELD: Villagers protested outside the district council while it was in session the other day demanding the release of Suhino Mughiri who had been arrested by the police last week. They pleaded that Mr Suhino was innocent and the police was torturing him to extract information regarding dacoits.