HYDERABAD, May 13: The adviser to the Sindh chief minister on local bodies, Mr Waseem Akhtar, has announced a special package of Rs1 billion for four taluka municipal administrations in order to respond to some immediate needs of the people of the city. He said it would be in addition to the Hyderabad development package of Rs10.5 billion announced by the president and Rs500 million governor’s package.

Disclosing details of the package at the district nazim secretariat on Friday, the adviser said Rs1 billion had been earmarked for the new fiscal year’s annual development programme for special projects.

“I must clarify in unequivocal terms that these Rs1 billion special projects would be implemented in addition to the HDP that is a separate project and would be executed as planned earlier in consultation with the former district nazim”, he said.

The Hyderabad special package comprised 15 schemes of filtration plants, improvement of graveyards, flyovers, playgrounds and installation of generators at filter plants.

The schemes have been approved from the provincial development working party.

Mr Akhtar said the schemes were being introduced in order to respond to urgent needs of people who had been resorting to agitation time and again and they were very right because they were facing real civic problems.

He said that implementation of schemes would certainly solve people’s problems.

He said the Hyderabad development package would be implemented in newly-created districts of Tando Allahyar, Tando Mohammad Khan and Matiari equally.

He criticized those political leaders who were talking of rural and urban divide and said they were levelling baseless accusations because no one could snatch others’ rights.

He said the MQM believed that those living in Sindh were the Sindhis.

He said beneficiaries of the schemes were the Sindhis and Urdu-speaking people because development works would be collectively carried out.

He said that MQM MPAs had major contribution in finalization of the projects while outgoing district nazim had also given his input.

He said tenders of the HSP had been prepared and urged officials to expedite work on them and ensure fair implementation of works to prove their utility so that every area could get developed.

He said that officials were expected to utilize every penny of the HSP and there should not be monetary losses adding that earlier Rs800 to Rs900 million were released for the city but on the ground work could not be seen.

He held out an assurance that Rs1 billion would be utilized and spent properly. He said allocations of Rs1 billion for the HDP was still intact and work on it would begin in August.

He said the consultant was examining each and every scheme of the project and in some cases the water level on the ground was being controlled before execution of any drainage and road scheme.

He said the consultant was also looking into controlling management crisis of Wasa and HDA because after implementation of these projects scope of working of civic body would be widened.

About cancellation of employees’ promotion in Taluka Municipal Administration, he said he was holding an inquiry into the matter because these promotions were not made in accordance with formalities.