49 talukas given Rs 145 million under ASP, SDSSP

The Advisor to Chief Minister for Local Government Waseem Akhtar on Saturday said the present Sindh government was extending equal co-operation to all the Talukas of Sindh, no matter which political party had their influence there.
"Wherever technical services are required or funds are needed, the same are being provided without any discrimination so that Taluka and UC Nazims could take decisions at the grass root level and utilise their allocated funds properly."
He was speaking on the occasion of distribution of cheques for Rs 145 million among Sindh's 49 Talukas under Annual Sector Plan and SDSSP at a ceremony held at a local hotel.
The Advisor said that Federal Government had provided Rs 140 million to Sindh Government for this programme so as to make basic facilities of clean drinking water, metalled roads and streets and better sewerage system available to people.
He said under the devolution programme, the status of 75 villages of Sindh would be upgraded and provided all the basic facilities.
"We don't believe in politics of promises but in practical action", Waseem Akhtar said and added "if we will work together and use funds prudently, then we are going to solve our problems."
He pointed out that the present government had given Rs five million development fund to each MPA without consideration of his association with the government or the opposition.
He said if opposition was in power in a UC, funds had been given to them equally so that development process could take place everywhere on equal footing - something which find no parallel in the past. On the occasion, Finance Advisor M A Jalil said those funds had been provided out of the loan given by Asian Development Bank.
He emphasised that it was their national, moral and social responsibility to utilise that loan in a better way to make local government organisations stronger and to provide better basic facilities to people. The ceremony was also addressed by Additional Chief Secretary Planning Ghulam Sarwar Khehro and Secretary Finance Malik Israr.