Funds delay hinders uplift project

KARACHI - Federal government has allocated substantial funds under special Hyderabad Development Package through which a sizeable number of mega projects have been completed but some development schemes of the district are still facing delay in the commencement and completion of the new and ongoing projects, The Nation has learnt on Saturday. Sources informed this scribe that former nazim Hyderabad Kanwar Naveed Jamil had a meeting with President of Pakistan. He discussed problems of Hyderabad upon which the President had approved an amount of Rs2,500 million which was subsequently included in the Federal PSDP project for Sindh 2009-10 (Sindh) Sr No 52 showing nomenclature as Hyderabad Package (for drainage). In this regard, a huge investment of billions of rupees on the schemes related to drainage and sewerage has already been incurred and such problem have been addressed to a great deal in Hyderabad. The District Government Hyderabad, at that time, intended to include the project related to water supply, road network, construction of flyovers and construction of garbage disposal plant under the said scope of scheme of the best utilisation of the allocated funds. Since the shown nomenclature of the new schemes has restricted the work to drainage only, therefore other schemes may not be entertained and approved by concerned quarters. Hence the said nomenclature needs to be amended as Hyderabad Package (New) instead of Hyderabad Package for Drainage accordingly for early commencement of the required projects. The approval of ongoing schemes under Hyderabad Development Package was mentioned in the PSDP 2009-10, by CDWP, sources said. It is pertinent to mention here two following schemes were submitted by Planning & Development Department of Government of Sindh, Karachi. After due consideration in PDWP meeting to Chief Public Investment Authorisation Section Planning and Development Division Government of Pakistan Islamabad for CDWP approval vide letter no: SO(D) - Road-5/76P&D/2009 dated 11-05-2009, have not been taken up since despite lapsing of several months which has caused delay in the commencement and completion of the said scheme for public Interest. The following two schemes under PSDP had been approved. The construction and improvement of various roads in Taluka Hyderabad District (Urban) costs Rs621million while Rs310 million was allocated for 2009-10. The other project was construction and improvement of various roads in Taluka Hyderabad (Rural) with total estimated cost of Rs209.024m while Rs205.750m was allocated for 2009-10.