Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has instructed the local government department to finalize the transition period of local councils, which is still ongoing, to enable elected representatives to effectively serve their constituencies.
He also directed the public health engineering (PHE) department to develop a plan to activate non-functional RO plants for the benefit of local communities.
Chairing a joint meeting of various departments following consultations with party workers in divisional headquarters, attendees included Minister of Education Syed Sardar Shah, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, and other relevant officials.
During his interactions with elected local council representatives, the CM was informed that the transition period was ongoing in their areas. Local Government Secretary Khalid Hyder Shah noted that some local bodies had not completed their transition work. Consequently, the CM instructed the secretary to expedite the transition process and transfer powers to elected representatives to enable them to serve their communities.
Addressing complaints about non-operational RO plants in various villages, the CM was informed by PHE Secretary Sohail Qureshi that 140 RO plants had been repaired and activated in different districts in March. These included plants in Badin, Sujawal, Matiari, Jamshoro, Karachi, Mirpurkhas, Tharparkar, Tando Allahyar, and others, funded through the maintenance and repairs (M&R) budget.
Responding to complaints from Mirpurkhas division, particularly Tharparkar and Umerkot villages, where RO plants were non-functional, the CM directed the PHE secretary to ensure their activation within two months.
The CM also instructed the PHE department to repair and activate 200 RO plants in various villages of Tharparkar and Umer Kot districts during the current financial year’s M&R budget and report back.
Regarding complaints about the PHE department handing over pumping stations and staff to towns without providing funds for salaries and electricity bills, resulting in unpaid staff, the CM directed the local government and PHE secretaries to resolve the salary issue promptly.
Moreover, the CM instructed the PHE department to develop a comprehensive plan to address technical and power-related issues of non-functional RO plants in the next budget, aiming to convert them to solar energy for operational efficiency.
Finally, the CM directed the energy department to ensure that Hyderabad Electric Supply Company and Sukkur Electric Power Company minimize load-shedding during hot weather in rural areas, considering the welfare of the residents.
