HYDERABAD, Aug 9: Expressing serious reservations over the Rs10.5 billion Hyderabad development plan, members of the district council on Monday said that they had not been consulted by the district government about the schemes included in its plan.

Describing the plan as defective, they said that several schemes which were executed or being completed under the Khushhal Pakistan Programme (KPP) were also included in the plan, and it was a blatant lie that the development plan had been prepared after due consultation with members.

The session was presided over by Nawab Rashid Ali Khan. Dr Ayaz Arain took the floor to defend the plan and said that collective wisdom of the house was bound to benefit not only the people, but the district government as well.

"Each and every aspect of the plan can be questioned thus a committee should be formed to discuss the package," he observed. He further said that consultants to be appointed by the district government would suggest minor amendments and the package would be implemented in its present form.

"The package would destroy the city if it is not properly discussed," he cautioned and said that if proposals of the bureaucracy were to be accepted, then there is no need for the present system. He said that bureaucrats did not know which of the road is damaged and needed reconstruction.

Rana Mehmood Ali Khan said that a big portion of the population in living in katchi abadis were neglected in the plan, and had it been discussed before, valuable suggestions would have been given.

He said that since the uplift plan had been approved at a higher level it was impossible that amendments would be accepted. He suggested that union and zila councils could play a vital role in the reconstruction of the city and their proposals should have been sought before the plan's finalisation.

Azizullah Memon said that schemes that were given by him had not been incorporated and some genuine problems of his UC had been ignored. Mohammad Ameen and Dr Saiuf ur Rehman said that UC 12 to 17 of Site area had once again been ignored in the package.

They said that problems of these UCs were not addressed in the Governor's package and now the uplift plan did not have a single development scheme for these areas.

Khaliq Chandio asked his colleagues not to make the plan controversial as mega projects and major schemes of eight talukas had been included. He said that members should criticise Sindh and federal governments as to why such packages were being delayed adding that members have to move forward under present system.

DCO: District Coordination Officer (DCO) Hyderabad Muhammad Hussain Syed in his briefing said that the "uplift plan was open to every amendment, but it will only be made on technical and needs assessment basis and district government will ensure that a consultant should discuss the plan with UC nazims."

He said that it was not a holy book that could not be amended. He said that the consultant was supposed to go through on-going schemes, topography of area, roads network, sewerage and drainage system. He said that a committee of the house may be appointed for discussions with the consultant, which would be free to examine everything independently.

He further said that all these things would be executed once project director is appointed on merit. He stated that PD is required to have foreign qualifications, must have 10 years engineering and municipal experience and anyone could apply for the post which is to be advertised with Rs2 lacs package.

He said that job security had been ensured to PD for continuity of the plan and he would be working in consultation with all stakeholders. He said that there was no difference of opinion over the sewerage and water supply schemes.

He asked members to lay great emphasis on sewerage and drainage system because roads could be constructed from funds of MNAs and MPAs. He said that consultation was necessary because he also believed in collective wisdom and added that the plan's

PC-I would be finalised once it was vetted by a consultant and only then the central government would give its Rs1 billion input. He said that flyovers were very much necessary and so were the sewerage system and farm to market roads of rural areas.