Pakistan: Sindh govt ready to hold LB polls but wants uniformity: CM Sindh

http://www.ppp.org.pk/

Sindh government is ready to hold local bodies (LB) elections, but it wanted its uniformity.

Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah said now it was the responsibility of federal government to announce election within reasonable notice.

Responding to a question from a member of 101 national management course participants on visit of Karachi getting briefing from the Sindh government he informed Sindh was the first province which passed the law of local government (LG). He said Sindh had assured the apex court for holding LG election and even had completed the delimitations for this purpose but someone had challenged our delimitations in the court, which were still pending.

He said we wanted the uniform system of LG and federal government was competent to do the needful and we were looking for that.

Performance of Sindh government after National Finance Commission (NFC) Award he said NFC Award was passed in 2010 but unfortunately we compelled to face natural calamities in 2010 and 2011 and major share of our development fund were diverted toward rescue and relief activities. He said during flood in 2010 we attended 7 million affectees, while in unprecedented heavy rainfall in 2010 we provided rescue and relief to 9 million people.

He said after that we were heavily engaged to meet with drought challenges in Tharparkar area last year and still yet we were providing wheat to the drought affectees free of cost and only this year we have distributed wheat at the worth of Rs 1.2 billion.

He said inspite of these natural calamities, the Sindh government had performed well even last financial year we have completed 627 development schemes and utilised maximum development funds.

Earlier he said poverty was the main problem of Sindh and government was now conceiving job oriented planning and policies not only to minimise the unemployment but to increase the purchasing power of the people to activate the business and investment activities in the province.

He said to provide jobs to unemployed youth was the policy of Pakistan Peoples Party, as such we provided 300,000 direct jobs during our last tenure.

He said in addition Sindh government has provided job skill training to 1,80,000 youths in 70 different trades enabling them either to earn through own business or to get job in public/private sector.He said keeping in view the energy shortage and having been in tail end, the Sindh government was giving priority to energy and water sector. He said health and education were also at our top priorities.

Additional Chief Secretary Development Muhammad Wasim briefed the delegation about the development activities specially in the urban transport, energy, agriculture, irrigation sectors. He briefed the delegation about rehabilitation of Sukkur and Guddu Barrage, remodeling and lining of irrigation canals, rehabilitation of fresh water bodies/reservoirs such as Manchar Lake and Keenjar Lake.

Inspector General of Sindh Police briefing the delegation about targeted operation informed since the targeted operation was launched, Sindh Police has challaned more than 17,000 criminals out of which only 5 percent have been decided.

He said now Sindh government has increased the number of anti terrorist courts and investigation officers to expedite the prosecution process.