KARACHI - Expressing dissatisfaction over the pace of work on development projects, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday warned the officers concerned of stern action if 205 of the ongoing projects are not completed by the upcoming June.
“I will visit and inspect all the ongoing projects and observe the pace of work in person so that these projects could be completed well in time.”
Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah was chairing a high-level meeting held to review work on 443 development schemes of the Education, Rural Development Department (RDD) and the Public Health Engineering Department being executed at a cost of Rs33.6 billion.
“Well, what we have observed today in this meeting so far, i do not satisfied with the pace of work on these projects; all of you know very well that these are projects of great importance and mind no negligence and delay will be tolerated in this regard,” the CM warned the officers representing different departments.
The chief minister directed completion of 205 schemes by June 2019, warning those fall short of the deadline would have to face the music in this regard.
Sindh Minister for Education Syed Sardar Shah, Minister for Local Government Saeed Ghani, Planning and Development Chairman Mohammad Waseem, Secretary Education (School) Qazi Shahid Parvez, Secretary Finance Najam Shah, Secretary PHE Hassan Naqvi and Secretary Colleges Pervez Sihar attended the meeting.
On the occasion, the secretary education (school) briefed the CM on 201 schemes of the department being executed with a total cost of Rs15.15 billion. He informed that the provincial government has so far released Rs6.9 billion out of total Rs15.15 billion, of which Rs3.5 billion has been utilisation.
The projects include establishment of Early Childhood Education Intervention at Hyderabad and Karachi, construction of schools in Tharparkar and construction of shelterless schools in different districts including Jhudo-Mirpurkhas, Hyderabad (rural area), Tando Allahayar, Tando Mohammad Khan, Thatta, Sujawal, Mirpurkhas, Umer Kot, Jacobabad, Kashmore and Karachi.
The secretary education informed that 100 percent allocation for 60 of these schemes has been released, which would be completed by June 2019.
The chief minister directed the secretary to complete 118 schemes of shelterless and other schools which could be made functional merely with the purchase of furniture. He directed the P&D chairman to remove these 118 schemes from the next ADP.
The secretary education (college) informed the chief minister that work on 48 schemes in underway at a cost of Rs5 billion, of which Rs2.1 billion has been released against which utilization stands at Rs917 million.
He said that 100 percent funds have been released for 16 schemes, and 50 percent funds for 19 schemes have been provided while quarterly releases are made for rest of the schemes.
These schemes include construction of college buildings at Qazi Ahmed, establishment of Boys and Degree Colleges at Ubauro, Gadap, provision of furniture for colleges constructed at Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazirabad and Larkana. There are some repair and renovation works of different colleges.
The chief minister directed Minister Education Saradr Shah to personally visit these college schemes and out of 48, complete 35 by June 2019 because they would be deleted from the next ADP.
The RDD secretary briefed the meeting that 49 schemes worth Rs800 million are underway. The finance department has released them Rs660 million, out which only Rs9 million could be utilized.
Upon which, the chief minister said that despite financial crunch, a handsome amount has been released by the finance department but the utilisation is unsatisfactory.
These schemes include development of graveyard at Village Sheranpur, Distt Jacobabad, construction of some small roads, link roads, culverts, installation of solar tube well etc. The chief minister directed the Secretary RDD to complete 28 schemes by June 2, 2019 and report him.
Mr Hassa Naqvi told the chief minister that PHE depoartment haslaunched 145 schemes of Rs12.7 billion against which Rs4.5 billion have been released while the utilization is Rs1.3 billion.
These schemes include water supply, tube wells, drainage, control of water logging, improvement sewerage discharge, construction drain nullahs etc.
The chief minister showed displeasure over poor utilization of the released amount. He directed the PHED secretary to complete 26 schemes for which 100 percent allocation has been released. “I would delete these schemes from ADP book in the next budget, therefore they must be completed by June 2019.
The chief minister directed Minister Local Government Ghani to personally visit and complete schemes of RDD and PHED. Their schemes are most important and need to be completed by the end of this financial year.
Meanwhile, the chief minister urged Chairman P&D Mohammad Waseem to send his teams on the on-going school, college, RDD and PHED schemes for their inspection and checking of the quality and keep posting the reports.
