Briefing in Presidency on Mega Development Projects in Sindh.

ISLAMABAD, October 15, 2009 (Balochistan Times): A briefing was held in the Presidency on Thursday to review the progress made on various development projects in Sindh with President Asif Ali Zardari in the chair. It was also attended by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Water and Power Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, Ms Faryal Talpur, MNA, Secretary General to President, Provincial Ministers Murad Ali Shah and Jameel Soomro, Chief Secretary Sindh and federal and provincial Secretaries of relevant ministries. Briefing the journalists spokesperson to the President former Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the meeting was informed that work on the project of lining of distributaries and minors in the province had already been taken in hand. Over 100 channels measuring 860 miles are to be lined at a cost of nearly 14 billion rupees in the next five years. Work on 10 channels in Sukkur, Guddu and Kotri barrage areas had already been completed while work on 65 channels was in progress. Contract for lining of another 34 channels was yet to be awarded. The meeting was informed that 1.2 billion rupees allocated for the year 2008-09 were fully utilized. About the revamping of irrigation and drainage system in the province the meeting was informed that in all 14 canal systems in the province had been selected for revamping. The project costing nearly 17 billion rupees was approved by ECNEC in November last and will be completed in 8 years. Farhatullah Babar said the President directed that the work on the project needs to be stepped up as it was critical for delivering equitable share of water to the farmers at the tail reaches of irrigation channels. The meeting was informed that the project to carry the effluent of RBOD-1 to sea starting from Sehwan was expected to be completed by 2011. The extension RBOD is 273 kilometers and cost 29 billion rupees. Chairman WAPDA informed the meeting that a study was being carried out for the treatment of RBOD effluent for various other issues. The President directed that extra care needs to be taken to ensure that the drainage effluent of RBOD-I was taken to the sea so that the Manchur lake and Kotri barrage were not polluted. Farhatullah Babar quoted the President as saying that water, whether fresh or brackish, is a precious resource in view of its shortage which should not be wasted. The President directed that the study being undertaken should take into account this factor and suggest ways of utilizing water instead of disposing it off into the sea unutilized. The meeting was also briefed on the progress made on the setting up of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto University and a medical college in Lyari in her memory. The medical college to be affiliated with the Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi will initially admit 100 students. Project director for the college had already been appointed and 50 million rupees provided through grant for establishing the college. The meeting was informed that the university will initially start functioning in the Government Boys Degree College Lyari and offer bachelors and masters programs in social sciences, commerce, marine science and medicine. The President directed that legislation for the establishment of the university be expedited. The President also inquired about the renovation of the existing building to serve initially as the new university and the faculty raised. The President directed that the project of building a separate campus for the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto University Lyari should also be expedited. The meeting was also briefed on the Keenjhar Lake resort project. The President directed the Finance Secretary to carry out a study on financing the project through capital market monies or debt market monies instead of using the banking system monies. By adopting this mode of financing the borrowers market will be expanded instead of squeezing it by borrowing from banks, the President said. He asked the finance ministry to submit a report on this model within a month. The President said that if this model of financing was feasible it could be utilized for financing all big public-private developmental projects without overheating the banking system. The meeting was also briefed about the proposed new city Zulfiqarbad in Sindh. The President remarked that professional firms may be involved in the exercise to recommend the best site for the new city. The meeting was informed that the proposed city would comprise of coastal areas of Jati, Shah Bunder, Keti Bunder and Kharo Chhan. Nearly 400,000 acres of land was immediately available while another 900,000 acres of land could be reclaimed after the construction of dykes. The President observed that in selecting the site care should be taken to protect the mangrove forests and secondly the location should be on state land so that litigation and other problems associated with requisitioning private land is avoided.

(THROUGH ASIA PULSE)