LARKANA, Nov 2: All the development works initiated under the Khushhal Pakistan Programme phase-IV were left half-finished in Larkana district as funds to the tune of Rs53.32 million had lapsed.

Under the KPP phase-IV, an amount of Rs62.50 million were released for the district government of Larkana in January 2003 but till June 30 only a meagre amount of Rs9.19 million had been spent, sources in the district Nazim’s office told this correspondent on Sunday.

Now the elected representatives are in a fix as both the contractors as well as the people of their constituencies have been criticizing them.

Economic activity has been stalled as the Sindh government is still not issuing orders to release the frozen funds lying with the local treasury office.

Sabagho Khan Jatoi, the then district coordination officer, Larkana, and sitting DCO had approached the finance department for re-validating and releasing the lapsed amount but in vain.

Sources told this correspondent that the KPP had been replaced with the Tameer-i-Pakistan Programme which led to the permanent stoppage of work on all development schemes begun under the KPP phase-IV.

They said that the worst affected would be the small-scale development schemes as under the Tameer-i-Pakistan Programme only big schemes could be executed.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, the district Nazim, Larkana, Khursheed Ahmed Junejo, in a letter to the chief secretary, Sindh, requested that funds be released as soon as possible after re-validation.

Sources said that the Sindh government was reluctant to release funds even after the passing of four months.

They said that the district government of Larkana had still not received another sanctioned amount of Rs65 million announced by the then Sindh governor, Mohammedmian Soomro, and added that only Rs18.42 million in the first instalment were released.

They said that schemes regarding roads and the educational sector initiated with the amount had now been practically abandoned.

The district Nazim through another letter to the Sindh governor has requested that the remaining amount be released so that the schemes could be completed.

HSC-I results: The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Larkana, on Saturday announced the results of HSC-I, humanities and commerce groups, annual examinations of 2003.

A total of 5,576 candidates appeared in the humanities group, of whom 3,779 passed the examinations and 58 had failed all the subjects.

As many as 1,135 candidates passed five papers, 315 passed four papers, 96 passed three papers, 45 passed two papers and 34 passed one paper.

As many as 70 students were reported for copying and the results of 44 candidates were withheld.

In the commerce group, 177

students out of 235 passed the examinations and one candidate failed all the papers. Thirty-five candidates cleared five papers and 18 cleared four papers.

Demo: Residents of the Allahabad locality the other day held a demonstration and blocked the Airport Road to protest against power breakdowns in the night.

The protesters burnt tyres and chanted slogans against local Hesco officials.