Ghani orders completion of ADP schemes in Karachi

Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani has directed the officials concerned to ensure the completion of Karachi’s ongoing uplift schemes, which are part of the Annual Development Programme (ADP), by the end of the current year, especially the schemes for which 100 per cent of the finances have been released.

He issued these directives while chairing a meeting on Tuesday. The meeting was attended by senior officials of the Local Government Department and its allied projects and agencies. Ghani reviewed progress on each of the ongoing development schemes of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, Karachi Development Authority, Karachi Water & Sewerage Corporation, Malir Development Authority, Lyari Development Authority, CLICK and SWEEP.

He expressed serious resentment at non-serious conduct of the officials concerned in completing these uplift projects. He asked questions regarding the pace of construction works and funds released to complete the projects.

He evaluated the performance of the head of each of the municipal and civic agencies in completing the schemes included in the ADP. He castigated the officials concerned who failed to compile comprehensive reports on the uplift schemes being built on their watch. He also censured the officials of the civic and municipal bodies who failed to complete the development projects despite the 100 per cent release of funds by the provincial government.

The LG minister informed the meeting that serving the masses in the best possible manner was the main objective behind the government’s act of conceiving uplift schemes of billions of rupees. He said delays in the completion of these projects due to slackness on the part of the relevant civic agencies not only defamed the government but also caused problems for the people.

He said the last Sindh government’s budget didn’t contain any new uplift scheme because of the main cause of ensuring completion of the ongoing development projects in the current financial year. Ghani said incomplete development schemes despite the passage of six months and release of the sufficient funds proved inefficiency on the part of the relevant officials.

He directed the additional chief secretary of the Local Government Department, Syed Khalid Hyder Shah, to compile a report on the development schemes of all the subsidiary agencies for which 100 per cent of the finances had been released. He further directed that the development schemes still awaiting approval should get authorisation by December 15 so that work should be initiated on them. Ghani said the Sindh government was fully serious about completing ongoing development schemes in the province, particularly the projects being constructed in Karachi.