The Committee on Disaster Management, constituted by Sindh Governor, Dr Ishrat-ul-Ibad Khan has reached closer to finalisation of its report, which will soon be submitted to the Governor with recommendations.
Advisor to Chief Minister for Local Government, Waseem Akhtar stated this in a radio press conference here on Sunday. He said it was for the first time that the present government had taken up the most vital issue of disaster management, which should have been addressed much earlier.
However, the present government would implement it in letter and spirit and give the Committee a permanent shape either as a task force or an authority.
This force or authority, he pointed out, would take all measures to prevent the damages that were caused by calamities at the minimum possible level. This body would have an inter-action with all the relevant departments.
He said as per recommendations of the committee, re-zoning of Karachi would be carried out, post-disaster measures chalked out, building construction rules redefined and a policy worked out which could be practically implemented. He said that programmes would be chalked out for greater public awareness about disasters through media.
Replying a question, the Advisor said that work on Master Plan for Karachi for the period up to 2020 was in progress and would be completed by December 2005.
To another question, he said that after 2009, all the provinces would have a free hand to bring amendments in the SLGO after seeking suggestions from their district councils.
He was of the view that police should be under the City Nazim because of the responsibility of law and order entrusted to him.
He told a questioner that completion of development projects was the responsibility of nazims, adding the funds being provided to them had never been made available in the past.
The need is to have only realisation about responsibilities and in this regard the people can play an important role for having their participation in the local government system at the gross root level.
He agreed with a questioner that previous four-year term of the Local Government system was of experiment and learning the system and, therefore, many problems remained unsolved. However, the period served as a base to promote an understanding about the system and it would continue to register improvement after every election held after four years.
To a question, Waseem Akhtar said that because of public participation, the element of corruption in the utilisation of funds would also reduce. "It is the need of the hour to further strengthen this system and this can be done through its implementation in its true spirit as well as prudent utilisation of funds", the Advisor remarked.
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