PRESIDENT Asif Ali Zardari, during his recent visit of the provincial capital, has accorded sanction for developing a 'New Jerruk City near Thatta, as reported in the media. The National Engineering Services Pakistan (Pvt.) Limited has been assigned the task of preparing a feasibility plan of the project at the earliest.

While announcing the scheme at a meeting held at the Governor's House, the President stressed the need for the new city as, according to him, after Islamabad was built in 1958 no new metropolis was planned, which has overburdened the infrastructure of old cities.

Therefore, in order to lessen the burden of the already existing urban areas, establishment of new metropolitan areas was emphasised.

The 'new city' project is envisaged on the vast area lying between the Jhampir Railway Station and the sea along the bank of the River Indus. According to the plan, this sprawling new city will provide to its residents with most modern amenities as available in any developed country of the world and it will obviously cost the nation trillions of rupees.

The country at present is going through a socio-economic nightmare, besides being hit by the worst kind of law and order problem in the history of its existence. Education, the backbone of development and progress of any society, is the lowest priority of the government. At this juncture the country needs enormous increase in the social sector budget, especially education and health, and not adding another urban area.

Even for reducing the burden of rural migration on the existing cities the remedy is to provide rural areas with basic amenities of life and job opportunities to the local population and not developing new cities.

If proper attention is given to developing infrastructure in the existing towns and villages of the country, I am hopeful that the rural-urban migration will be reduced considerably. The creation of Islamabad was also the idea of a dictator to weave a cocoon for his safety, which ultimately proved to be one of the causes of separation of East Pakistan.

SHAFIQUE ANSARI
Dubai