KARACHI:,,, Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (Retd) Maqbool Baqar on Tuesday directed the transport department to pursue the federal government to construct the Green Line Corridor from Numasih to Radio Pakistan.
The contract of the firm working on the corridor has been cancelled, therefore it must be re-tendered so that the important project of Green Line could be extended to the Old Radio Pakistan building on M.A Jinnah Road.
He issued these directives while presiding over a meeting to review the civic issues here at CM House. The meeting was attended by Minister LG Mubin Jumani, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, Chairman P&D Shakil Mangnejo, Secretary Finance, Secretary local government, DGs of development authorities, MD SSWMB, all DCs, and all municipal commissioners of all the towns.
Civic Centre: The CM said the Civic Centre was a unique and beautiful building but these days it was a look of being neglected. Its washrooms are so dirty and dilapidated that nobody would bother to use them, the CM said and added when a development authority could not keep its own offices developed how it would undertake the development of the city?
The CM directed DGA KDA to improve the overlook and interior of the civic centre. The CM was told that the officers of provincial and federal government housed in the Civic Centre were not paying rent. At this, the CM directed the Secretary of Local Government to start at source rent deduction from the provincial government offices housed in the Civic Centre and take strict against the federal government offices working there.
SBCA: The chief minister directed the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) DG to conduct an audit of all the dangerous buildings, and report the actions taken to prevent the loss of lives in such buildings.
He also directed the DG to SBCA to report him about the action taken by him against the illegal constructions. “I want a comprehensive report of the builders whose buildings were seeping and were not interested in improving them,” he said and directed the DG to cancel their construction licenses if they failed to improve their buildings.
JPMC & Civil Hospital: Discussing the condition of JPMC and Civil Hospital buildings, the CM directed Secretary Works to visit them and repair them. He added that these two hospitals were most important and needed the proper attention of all the concerned agencies.
He also directed Mayor Karachi to visit Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and prepare a detailed plan for its improvement and share the same with him.
Ghost Employees: The CM said that during the transition period, various ghost employees have been put on the payroll of local bodies such as Towns, Union Councosl/commitees. He all the municipal commissioners, local government, and the finance department to check their employment records remove the ghost employees and share the report with him.
Additional charges to be removed: The chief minister directed all the departments to withdraw the order to give additional charges to an official. In case of utmost importance, the additional charge could be allowed but this practice must be discouraged.
Encroachments: It was disclosed that most of the pushcarts/Thelas have encroached upon the roads causing serious traffic jams. The CM directed the deputy commissioners to regularise the Thelas so that their economic activities may could continue without encroaching upon the roads.
Solid waste management: The chief minister told the DG Sindh Solid Waste Management Board that he was not satisfied with his performance. This beautiful city has turned into heaps of filth and garbage, the CM said and added the Sindh govt was spending billions of rupees on the cleanliness of the city but even then there was no visible difference. He warned him to improve his performance.
Saplings: The chief minister directed all the towns to start tree plantations and beautify their areas with proper cleanliness, and functional drainage systems, and remove all encroachments.
Justice Baqar pointed out that earlier a sapling was sold for Rs3 but now the forest dept was charging Rs6. This is unreasonable and this corrupt practice must be stopped. The CM warned the Director of Parks KMC to wake up and make this city – a city of beautiful trees, plants, and greenery. “I don’t know what the parks department of KMC and other local bodies are doing,” he questioned.
