The Senate Standing Committee on Capital and Development Division (CADD) was informed on Friday that total water supply required in Islamabad is 120 million gallons per day whereby the actual supply is only 59 million gallons out of which 30 per cent of water is wasted. The committee was informed that 157 tube wells out of 197 are dysfunctional and water is being supplied from Simli Dam, Khanpur Dam and remaining 40 functional tube wells.
Secretary CADD Saqib Ali and Joint Secretary Alamgir Ahmed Khan briefed the committee regarding CADD working, procedures, performance and budget. The committee was informed that the CADD ministry was established on April 2011 after the passage of the 18th Amendment and CADD is responsible for dealing with the matters of the federal capital. He said the development budget of CADD is Rs 15 billion whereas non-development budget is Rs 21 billion. The committee was further informed that CADD has a total of 236 employees.
The secretary apprised the committee that Rs 5 billion have been allocated only for the Education Reforms Program through which the education institutes will be reformed as per international standards.
While talking about the details, he said 226 information technology (IT) labs have been established, 70 buses out of 200 have been bought under the same program and the remaining buses are under the purchase process. Total number of educational institutions in the federal capital is 423 wherein 213,000 students are enrolled, he said.
Senator Samina Syed suggested the ministry to make the federal capital a smoke-free zone and take appropriate steps to control drugs, especially in educational institutions. She also highlighted the issue of water shortage and said Islamabad should be a role model for other cities of the country but there is water shortage in Islamabad too where people have to wait for hours in long queues to get drinking water. She also suggested establishing old homes and orphanages in Islamabad. Senator Kulsoom Perveen said the CDA should also do something to control fire incidents at Margalla Hills.
The chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) replied that he does not have complete authority and the issue of fire is in mayor's domain. The officials of Federal Directorate of Education told the committee that FDE was set up in 1967 and education from primary to master level is being offered in its institutions. The strength of teaching staff in 423 educational institutions of Islamabad is 9,663 while strength of non-teaching staff is 4,423. Senator Kulsoom Perveen was of the view that there are 2,011 daily-wage and contract teachers in the federal capital who are in serious trouble to get their services regularized, adding despite recommendations of the standing committee, their services have not been regularized so far. On this the committee was briefed that the former prime minister had directed to take stock of the situation by constituting a committee.
The standing committee while taking notice of violation of court order for receiving fee of July and August by the private educational institutions, summoned Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) high-ups in the next meeting. The standing committee was told that the matter is sub judice.
Perveen said that population in the federal capital has registered a visible increase and there is shortage of educational institutions, adding through double shift in institutions the issue can be overcome. She said that even she had to request to the secretary for getting some students admitted and from this it can be guessed how a common citizen is facing issues in this regard.
Among others, the committee meeting was attended by Senators Mir Muhammad Yousaf Badini, Sardar Muhammad Shafiq Tareen, Sajjad Hussain Turi, Samina Saeed, Saadia Abbasi and Muhammad Azam Sawati.