KARACHI: Seven new dams will be constructed in the province

[CMY]

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said that seven new dams will be constructed in the province in order to cope with the water shortage, and construction work on one dam will be commenced forthwith.

The chief minister’s announcement is in contravention of a decision taken by a high level meeting chaired by the PPP co-chairman, Asif Ali Zardari at Bilawal House last week that 14 new dams, including two in Karachi would be constructed.

Mr Shah however did not elaborate as to why the numbers of proposed dams have been reduced.

Addressing a post budget 2008-09 press conference along with provincial information minister, Shazia Marri at new Sindh Secretariat on Tuesday, Mr Shah said the much-awaited national finance commission (NFC) award would be announced within months.

" In our first meeting with prime Minister, Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, we raised this issue, and he assured us that the matter would be resolved soon", Shah said and added " According to my information, Punjab has agreed to accept the will of other three provinces that the NFC award should not be based on population, but also on poverty, tax collection, and non-development".

He vowed that the provincial government would try its level best to reduce power loadshedding in the province by the end of 2008.

The chief minister said his government planned to generate electricity through coal to not only cope with the requirement of the people of Sindh, but also to export that in order to earn the foreign exchange.

He said that some 100,000 new housing units would be constructed in all over Sindh for poor people during next two years.

The provincial government was planning to distribute 212,000 acre land among the poor farmers within their own districts, besides provision of seeds, fertilizers, and water, he added.

The chief minister said that around 100,000 youths would get employment within the country, while 400,000 to 500,000 people would get jobs abroad under Benazir Youth Development Programme this year.

Moreover, these youths would be trained in different fields, and a honourarium of Rs 4000 to Rs 7000 would be given to them as part of their training.

Mr Shah said his government had taken some concrete steps to improve law and order situation in the province, which include an allocation of RS 21 billion in the current budget for law and order.

" We have given special attention to the fields of health and education. The health and education allocations have been increased by 138 per cent and 88 per cent respectively in the current budget", he maintained.

Expressing concern over deteriorating conditions at Civil Hospital Karachi, the chief minister said that all the civil hospitals in the province would be upgraded, including provision of additional stock of medicines and other facilities for the poor patients.

Around 50 per cent basic health units in Sindh were lying closed, which would be opened during the current fiscal, he said.

Similarly, Mr Shah said, all the rural health centers would be made operational, and handed over to NGOs, and other relief organizations to run them. However, all the financial assistance to respective organizations would be provided by the Sindh government to run these centers, he maintained. Expressing his dissatisfaction over state of affairs in education department, Mr Shah said that a number of schools were lying closed in the province, which would soon be made operational.

He said the Sindh government would provide additional allowances to the teachers and doctors working in the rural areas.

The chief minister informed that lining of some 15000 watercourses in the provinces had been completed, while the lining of Rohri and Nara canals were underway with a view to saving more water.

He said that university status had been given to the Chandka Medical College Larakana. " We have decided to chalk out a health policy for admission to all the state-owned medical colleges in the province", he added.

To a question, Mr Shah said that the process of new employment had already been started and job letters would be delivered to the successful candidates in the first week of next month.

" Merit for jobs in BPS-1 to BPS-9 will be poverty, while all the vacancies of BPS_16 and above will be filled through Public Service Commission", he said.

He said that a media center would be established under the aegis of Sindh Information Department to facilitate the journalists.

He assured that the lease issue of Karachi Press Club would soon be resolved.