KARACHI, Aug 29: A number of development projects funded by the federal government, at a cost of Rs1,530 million, are being executed in the province without the supervision of the steering committee constituted for the purpose by the Sindh government.
The projects numbering 16, pertaining to facilitation to the police personnel, also include four schemes for Karachi, on which so far Rs1,056 million have been spent and Rs474 million are awaited for their completion.
The steering committee, which was constituted by the provincial government to monitor its work progress vis-a-vis ensuring proper utilization of the funds, has failed to meet so far.
The committee was formed in May under the chairmanship of Sindh home secretary with additional secretary (development), (finance department), chief of planning and development department, chief engineer buildings, Hyderabad, and additional secretary (administration) home department, as members.
The committee was supposed to coordinate among government department/agencies — finance department, planning and development, communication and works departments, besides inspector general of police — in achieving timely completion of the projects.
Sindh chief secretary K.B. Rind, who was given a briefing on the progress of the schemes, has directed the concerned departments to expedite the matter to ensure that all schemes are completed according to schedule. He also asked the committee to monitor the work progress and ensure quality of construction and proper utilization of funds, it is learnt.
The four development schemes pertaining to the city police are: construction of seven RTCs at Metroville (Razzaqabad), seven at Baldia Town, at a cost of over Rs62 million and Rs90 million; construction of police lines for traffic police and superintendent branch on the Korangi Road and setting up of police line in Karachi south at an estimated cost of Rs48 million and Rs141 million respectively.
On the above four schemes, so far, over Rs247 million out of an estimated cost of over Rs393 million have incurred.
The other schemes include construction of accommodation barracks for 150 trainees each for the police department in Khairpur, Larkana, Dadu Johi, Shahadapur, Oderolal Ganjo Takkar, Badin and Jam Nawaz Ali.
Setting up of mess and kitchens for 150 persons, eight in each centre, and construction of 223 classrooms for 40 persons each.
According to reliable sources, accommodation for police lines in Malir, Umerkot and Ghotki, residential, non-residential accommodation for SSP crime, SSP special branch and SSP SRP in Mirpurkhas are included in the projects.
Besides, residential and non-residential accommodation for DIG/SSP, police station residential/non-residential accommodation for police department in Mirpurkhas, and police post and police station residential accommodation for police department in Sanghar would be constructed.
Other projects are construction of five numbers kutcha/hilly police stations/police posts costing over Rs291 million on which, so far, over Rs242 million have been spent. These include construction of 37 reserve police stations and 11 police posts in civil division in Sukkur, construction of 23 RPS and ten police posts in civil division, Larkana, setting up of 28 RPS in civil division in Hyderabad. Likewise, construction of 29 hilly police stations and 40 hilly border police posts in Sindh and construction of 43 SDPO offices and two SP offices cum-residences in Sindh are also included in the projects.