KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples’ Party public representatives from Karachi and its local leadership on Friday piled up complaints against civic problems in all seven districts of the city, prompting Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah to enhance the funds of union committees.

At an interactive session of PPP representatives and party workers for budget 2024-25 at CM House, the PPP representatives drew the attention of the chief minister towards several civic and development issues, including water shortages, poor sanitation, absence of health and education facilities, dilapidated roads, shortage of public transport, unemployment and drug menace, in their respective districts.

A statement issued from CM House said that the meeting was attended among others by Sindh PPP president Nisar Khuhro, general secretary Waqar Mahdi, provincial Ministers Sharjeel Memon, Syed Sardar Shah, Nasir Shah, Saeed Ghani, Shaheena Sher Ali, adviser Najmi Alam, Mayor Murtaza Wahab, MNAs Qadir Patel, Hakim Baloch, Nabeel Gabol and Dr Akhtiar Baiq, Senators Nadeem Bhutto and Masroor Ahsan, MPAs, district presidents and general secretaries, representatives of local bodies and party workers.

Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said that he had decided to enhance the funds of union councils on the demand of local bodies representatives so they could serve people of their respective areas.

Murad announces more funds for city’s UC

“I’ll give you [UCs] more funds and will make you accountable for their judicious spending”, he added.

Mr Shah said that the PPP had won three seats of the National Assembly in Karachi in the last election of 2018. “This time we have bagged seven MNAs and 12 MPA seats which is the manifestation of the party workers’ hard work and ability to reach the message of Bilawal Bhutto to the people of Karachi,” he added.

Mr Shah said that a scheme of a sewerage treatment plant would be initiated for Rs135 billion in public-private partnership mode so that treated wastewater could be used for industrial usage.

Malir

District Malir Women Wing president Sadia Majeed pointed out that the wastewater of the city and industrial waste being released untreated into the sea was damaging mangroves and marine life badly.

She pointed out that narcotics was being used by children in Rehri, Lath Basti and other nearby villages openly.

The chief minister directed the city commissioner to take strict action against the drug mafia in the areas.

Ms Sadia also demanded the chief minister to establish a separate arts council and digital library in Malir.

Keamari

UC President Imran Bapra and Moosa Mengal from district Keamari raised the issues of water shortage, absence of health facilities at islands of Baba & Bhit and requested the chief minister to provide them these facilities.

He pointed out that patients from Baba & Bhit were transported to the city through boats and when the patients reached the Keamari road, it remained jammed.

They also pointed out that there was a shortage of teachers in schools of Kiamari, while Manghopir road was in a very poor condition.

It was pointed out that there were no playgrounds in Surjani Town and Keamari.

District President Liaquat Askani complained that district Keamari and West had been ignored while launching Peoples Bus Service in Karachi.

West

More Khan, a UC chairman from district West, said that the union councils were being given Rs500,000 per month budget which was not sufficient.

“Out of 35 goths of the UC of Keamari, 30 have no water or electricity,” he complained.

Other representatives from the district also requested for creation job opportunities for the youngsters and the provision of water to the villages of the West. Most of the UC Chairmen told the CM that they did not have offices.

South

The representatives from district South complained against the water shortage in Lyari, saying the bulk line had either been choked or damaged.

They also urged the government to eliminate the drug mafia from Lyari.

It was pointed out that 80 per cent of the population of Lyari was paying electricity bills even then prolonged loadshedding was being resorted there.

A party worker demanded the establishment of pre-schools in the public sector education system because most people could not afford private schools. He said Lyari Hospital had no ventilators.

East

The PPP representative from the district complained that the construction of the Red Line project had caused traffic jams along the University Road. He demanded the completion of the project at the earliest.

It was also pointed out that Sohrab Goth Town and Safoora Town had large katchi abadis and undeveloped settlements where water shortage continually persisted.

Central

Senator Masroor Ahsan said that the meeting was convened to seek party workers’ advice for the development of the city but the workers had raised the issues which needed to be resolved at the local level by the local bodies of the area.

He urged the party workers to focus on the quality of the ongoing development works.

Another representative from the district demanded special attention to the sewerage system and garbage disposal, saying that the overflowing gutters had destroyed the roads of new Karachi Town.

Korangi

The district Korangi party representatives also raised similar issued in parts of the Korangi.

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2024