Murad boasts of govt plans to uplift socio-economic life of people

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah Tuesday assured that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government in Sindh will make every possible effort to improve social and economic life of the people; with focus on developing the infrastructure, and provision of quality education and better health cover.

The Chief Minister was speaking at a post-budget press conference in Sindh Assembly auditorium, which was attended by a large number of print and electronic media persons.

He informed that in May 2018 the then PPP Sindh government had presented the budget for the whole fiscal year of 2018-19. However, he continued, the authorization for expenditures was sought from the Assembly only for three months.

On Monday (Sept. 17) Sindh Chief Minister, who also holds the portfolio of the Finance Minister, presented revised budget with adjustments in the development schemes and the authorization from he House was sought for nine months.

He said from the coming Monday, debate in the Assembly on this revised budget would start which would continue at least for five days before its approval by the House.

He highlighted the new infrastructure development schemes at the provincial and district level proposed in this nine months revised budget.

The main projects included 87-kilometre long coastal highway to be constructed at the cost of Rs 8 billion and Larkana Water Supply Scheme. In total, 41 schemes had been given in this budget. Of these, 14 would be completed before end of June 2019.

He said Union Council based poverty elimination schemes, started in 2009, would be spread to entire rural area of the province.

He said during the financial year 2018-19 Sindh Government would not purchase any new vehicle unless it was un-avoidable like ambulances or police mobiles.

The Chief Minister said that for addressing the issue of shortage of drinkable water in Karachi, desalination plants under the private-public partnership would be set up after due consultation with all the stakeholders.

To a question about delay in procurement of buses for the mass transit project in the city, the CM maintained that the delay on behalf of Sindh Government was due to non-completion of infrastructure of the Green Line project. However, he appreciated Prime Minister Imran Khan's offer that the Federal Government would provide the buses for this project.

To another query about the ban on recruitment, Syed Murad Ali Shah his government had started recruitment wherever urgently required. Soon the ban on jobs would be formally lifted.

About Gajj Dam project, he said it would cost Rs 26 billion. So far Rs 11 billion had been spent and Rs 2 billion more had been allocated for this year.

He agreed that fast track work was needed on Gorakh Hill project.

When his attention was sought towards drought-like situation in Thar, the Chief Minister said the government had started sending wheat there and other interventions would also be taken for the relief of Tharis.

The Sind Chief Minister admitted that PPP government had failed to achieve the desired gorals in education sector.

Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah was pursuing the issue of increase in fees by private schools. The schools defying the court orders may face cancellation of their registration.