HYDERABAD, Dec 5: Ca-retaker Chief Minister Justice (Rtd) Abdul Qadir Halepoto has said that a high profile meeting has been convened in Karachi on Dec 6 to chalk out a foolproof security plan to hold the forthcoming general elections in a peaceful atmosphere.

Mr Halepoto said at a gathering of villagers in Jiando Halepoto village of Hyderabad rural taluka on Tuesday that the prime duty of his government was to conduct general elections in a free, fair and peaceful manner and urged people to exercise their right of franchise.

He said that the meeting would also discuss putting in place an effective mechanism for controlling spiralling prices in the market and assured the growers that his government was making efforts to persuade sugar mills to pay official rate for sugarcane.

He said that his government would ensure that irrigation water was supplied to the tail-end of Belori, Rahuki and Husri distributaries. The government had prepared a scheme for widening the existing road from Ghangra Mori to Tando Fazal to provide people better facilities, he added.

He expressed regret at the inability of caretaker government to solve the problem of unemployment due to its brief tenure and ban on recruitment but assured that the problems of people which needed to be attended to would be solved immediately in the order of their merit.

Mr Halepoto announced reconstruction of the dilapidated buildings of secondary and higher secondary schools in Jiando Halepoto village, where more than 1,000 students were enrolled.

He also announced Rs300,000 for the purchase of books and computers for the schools and assured that problems of teaching community would be solved on priority basis.

Taluka Nazim Hyderabad (rural) Khawand Bux Jahejo apprised the caretaker chief minister of the problems of rural taluka and requested for paying special attention towards its development.

Among others Abdul Majeed Halepoto, Mohammad Moosa Halepoto, Iqbal Pahore and principal of the school Mubarak Ali Qureshi also spoke on the occasion and apprised the chief minister about the problems of their areas.

The caretaker chief minister said at a cheque-distribution ceremony at the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Jamshoro on Wednesday that he would try his best during the little time he had to put in place an effective mechanism leading to a corruption-free society.

The cheques were distributed among the affectees of Lal Shahbaz Housing Scheme and the ceremony was organised by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) of Sindh.

Mr Halepoto said that no country could progress without having an honest and corruption-free society. Though his task could not be completed within the short tenure of his government but he would at least set an example for the next government to follow.

Anti-corruption issue had gained importance globally and “we being a responsible nation should work with other nations to fight against this malaise as it is also our religious obligation not to get involved in any corrupt practices”, he said. He urged the government organisations to utilise public funds in a transparent manner to ensure people received efficient service. In addition, check and balance was essential to achieve the objective of a corruption-free society, he said.

Mr Halepoto said that NAB had been established to take action against the menace of corruption and protect public and private properties. It was NAB’s great achievement that it had investigated illegal overcharging scandal of Lal Shahbaz Housing Scheme and got the looted amount back to affectees.

He said that his government would extend all possible help to the NAB management to enable it to take action against corruption. All the government functionaries should work together to realise the vision of the president, he stressed.