HYDERABAD:Commissioner Hyderabad Division, Syed Khalid Hyder Shah, has instructed the District Election Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, and Education Works Engineer of Hyderabad to prepare a report on the missing facilities in the proposed polling stations.
During a meeting held at his office on Tuesday, the Commissioner stated that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is likely to announce the schedule for the general elections soon. In light of this, the concerned officials should finalize their preparations. The meeting also addressed measures to reduce food price inflation and transport fares following a significant decrease in fuel prices.
Shah emphasized that the District Election Commissioner and Assistant Commissioners should jointly visit the proposed polling stations to identify missing facilities and submit reports.
The Education Works Engineer informed the meeting that 10 school buildings among the proposed polling stations had been declared dangerous after the monsoon rains in 2022. He mentioned that many other school buildings need washrooms, water, and electricity, for which they have requested funds amounting to Rs53 million.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner directed the district administration and the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) to immediately lower transport fares and food prices. He urged officials to take action against traders and transporters who fail to revise their prices and fares.
Commenting on the performance of the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), the Commissioner stated that WASA should complete ongoing development projects in the city and address water shortage issues. He noted that despite receiving necessary development funds and funds for electricity bills from the Sindh government, WASA’s performance remained unsatisfactory. He pointed out that lagoons and ponds designated for water storage were filled with silt, and water purification at filtration plants needed improvement. The Commissioner also noted that repair works had been reported as completed in five government hospitals in Hyderabad, each of which received Rs90 million, but the actual progress didn’t reflect the allocated funds. He instructed Assistant Commissioners to visit these hospitals and provide reports.
The Managing Director of WASA, Anjum Saeed, reported that work on four treatment plant schemes was currently underway. Fahim Abbas, representing the private contractor company Atlas Pak, working with the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board, stated that they were disposing of 1,084 tons of waste from the city daily. This waste was being deposited at a dumping site in Luni Kot, Jamshoro district, along the M9 Motorway.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner Hyderabad Tariq Qureshi and officials from WASA, Works and Services, Education Works, Public Health Engineering Department, Local Government, and Engineers of the Building Department.