Karachi February 1, 2012: President Asif Ali Zardari today directed to speed up the training program under the Sindh Waseel e Haq scheme to enable the BISP beneficiaries set up their own small businesses and extricate themselves from poverty. He also directed begin a project aimed at reclaiming and renovating the old natural drainage channels in the province and complete it before the onset of new flood season. The President also directed to speed up work on the ongoing developmental projects in the province to meet the targets by the close of the financial year in June.

 

The President gave these multiple directions during a meeting in Bilawal House Karachi to review progress made in the ongoing developmental projects, flood control measures and training of BISP beneficiaries to set up their own small businesses with the help of interest free laons.

 

The meeting was attended by Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah, provincial ministers Agha Siraj Khan Durrani, Syed Ali Nawaz Shah, Jam Saifullah Khan Dharejo, Ms. Shazia Marri, Syed Murad Ali Shah, Nawabzada Mir Nadir Ali Khan Magsi, Ms. Sharmeela Farooqi and Pir Mazh-ul-Haq, Chief Secretary and relevant provincial secretaries and heads of departments.

 

Chief Secretary Sindh briefed the meeting on the status of on going development projects, the total allocations under the ADP and the amount spent thus far.

 

The President said that more than half of the current financial year had already passed and asked for stepping up the pace of work to complete the projects during the remaining period of the financial year in accordance with the stipulated schedule.

 

President Zardari said that the country had witnessed two floods during the last two consecutive years and preparations should be made to minimize the damage if floods were to recur this year.

 

He directed the government to reclaim and renovate the natural drains in the province that have been in dis-use for a variety of reasons for the past decades. The President asked the chief minister to appoint a monitoring committee to supervise the work pertaining to reclaiming the historical old drainage channels. He asked that the Presidency should be kept fully informed about the progress in this project.

 

The meeting was informed that 900 people will complete their training during the next two weeks in necessary skills to undertake their own small businesses with the help of three hundred thousand interest free loans advanced to them under the waseela e haq program of BISP. Over 30,000 people will be trained under this scheme by the end of June this year, the meeting was informed. The President called for stepping up the training program of BISP beneficiaries.