World Bank helps conduct diagnostic study: Overhauling of LG institutions to cost $10bn: Murad

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah Wednesday said his government with the assistance of the World Bank conducted 'Karachi Diagnostic Study' to identify the areas and the sectors where necessary intervention in terms of development could be made.

The provincial government in collaboration with the World Bank is going to spend $10 billion during the next 10 years to overhaul local bodies' organisations, including KMC, DMCs, District Council and water board apart from launching major development works in water and sanitation, solid waste management, roads/bridges and underpasses. "The purpose is to make Karachi one of the best livable cities of the world."

This he said while addressing 47 under training assistant commissioners who visited him under a study tour organized by Civil Service Academy led by its Director. The meeting was attended by Chairman P&D M. Waseem, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Home Secretary Usman Chachar, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi, Secretary Health Zahid Abbasi and others.

To a question Shah said that under the devolution of the district chiefs were created under the nomenclature of Nazims. They not only started recruitment but gave promotions contrary to the Appointment, Promotion and Transfer (APT) Rules. "Only in Karachi additional 6,000 employees were inducted into KMC," he said and added that the system [devolution] had no checks and balances, therefore the entire system was affected.

The provincial assembly passed new local government law and the Mayor Karachi and mayors of other cities and chairmen of the local bodies have ample powers, including financial authority, the chief minister said and added "They can impose local taxes, carry on development works," he said.

He said that there were 29 districts in Sindh, one Metropolitan Corporation, six DMCs, three municipal corporations, 24 district councils, 37 municipal committees, 147 town committees, 560 union committees and 1175 union councils. "They all are working and it is the only province of Sindh which has functional local bodies.

To a question, Shah brushed aside the impression that people were dying in hunger in Tharparkar. "This notion has been developed by those who have never visited Thar and now Thar is one of the best developed cities of the province which has a vast and best road network, best employment opportunities and one of the well-equipped hospitals [DHQ Mithi] in the province," he said.

In Tharparkar, the provincial government has invested $4 billion from its own resources and changed the life style of people of Thar by giving them employment, water facility through RO plants. "Yes, people have been criticizing RO plants but whenever any RO plant in Thar has been made un-operational due to any reason people of the area start staging protests for making the plant operation which is manifestation of the performance of the RO plants," he said.

To a question, the chief minister said that five IGs have been transferred in Punjab but when the provincial cabinet of Sindh requested for change of IGP, the federal government demonstrated an unreasonable attitude.

The chief minister said that there were different forums which approve schemes. They are District Development Committee that has the authority to approve schemes worth Rs 20 million, Development Board under concerned secretary could approve a scheme of Rs 40 million, Department Development Working Party (DDWP) under Chairman P&D has the power to approves 10,000 million. Above Rs 10,000 million the schemes are sent to the federal government for approval.

Shah said that law and order has been restored all over Sindh. One can travel any time on any road, but there is a problem of street crime in the city which was being controlled in an organized manner.

The chief minister responded each and every question of the new entrants in the civil service.