KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah Tuesday approved Rs 17.7 billion to purchase eight snorkels, fire tenders, refuse trucks, tractors and trolleys for local bodies of the province.

He took this decision while presiding over a meeting here at the CM House, according to a news release. The meeting was attended by Minister Local Government Nasir Shah, Advisor Law Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Chairman P&D M Waseem, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi, Secretary Local Government Najam Shah and others.

The provincial local government department presented a proposal to purchase eight snorkels for extinguishing fire in high rise buildings. The chief minister was told that eight snorkels, each one of 35 meter long would be procured for divisional headquarters, three for Karachi, each one for Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Nawabshah, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas and Larkana divisions.

Sindh Minister Local Government Nasir Shah told the chief minister that the tender process for purchase of snorkels had been undertaken. He added that the snorkels were needed for all divisional headquarters. At this, the chief minister said that the amount of Rs1.5 billion would be made available in the next financial year.

Minister Local Government Nasir Shah told the meeting that the municipal committees had to transport garbage swept from their respective areas to their landfill sites, therefore 102 tractor and trolleys were required. The purchase would cost Rs 4.1 billion. The chief minister, in principle approved the proposal and directed Finance Department to make the amount available in the start of the next financial year.

The local government department presented another scheme to purchase 89 fire tenders for different municipal committees. He said that most of the municipal committees were in need of fire tenders for firefighting. Murad Ali Shah approved Rs 2.8 billion for purchase of 89 fire tenders to be provided to municipal committees all over Sindh.

The chief minister approved another proposal of the local government department under which 115 refuse trucks would be purchased for Rs 9.3 billion in the next financial year.

Murad Ali Shah directed the local government minister to activate KMC and DMCs to clean their major nallas. “The monsoon season is approaching, therefore desilting of major nallas should be started shortly,” he said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021