KARACHI - Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar on Tuesday visited the sites of ongoing works in Malir area and inspected the pace of development work.
DMC Korangi Chairman Nayyar Raza and DMC Malir Chairman Jan Muhammed Baloch were also present on the occasion besides DMC Malir Vice Chairman Abdul Khaliq Marwat, DG Works Shahab Anwer, Director MS Masood Alam, project director and other officers.
The mayor inspected the pace of work on 5km long road from Quaidabad to Star Gate at Malir 15, which is being built at a cost of Rs785million.
He also reviewed the Azeempura Loop presently under-construction at the railway line at Malir 15 and directed to complete this work speedily.
The mayor said the construction of road from Quaidabad to Star Gate was very important as the people had to suffer due to traffic problems.
“After its construction, these problems will be resolved and the situation will become better,” he hoped. Talking to media, the mayor said that he had proposed 183 schemes for Karachi, but none was included in the Sindh budget.
He said although Karachi contributed Rs150billion in taxes; it was unfortunate that only Rs40billion had been earmarked in the budget for its development.
He said he had called a meeting of elected representatives before the budget in order to prepare the budget proposals so that citizens could be facilitated, but none of our proposals was approved.
Replying to a query, Wasim said tree plantation campaign will be launched in the city in the current month during which old and traditional trees would be planted on a large scale, and this would hopefully improve the environmental conditions.
Meanwhile, the mayor visited the Trauma Centre and other wards of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital without prior intimation.
He expressed annoyance over the worst sanitary condition and out-of-order air conditions in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.
Wasim directed the medical superintendent and senior director health services to get the air conditioning system restored within two hours, and warned that strict action would be taken if sanitary condition was not improved at the hospital.
He also went to the Paediatric Ward of the hospital and inspected the under- construction six-storey building of Eyes and ENT department where he said a special children ward and OPD would also be setup with the cooperation of an NGO.
He urged the administration and especially the doctors and paramedical staff to serve the patients and provide maximum facilities to them.