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Islamabad: President Asif Ali Zardari today directed to speed up the training programme under the Sindh Waseel-e-Haq scheme to enable the Benazir Income Support Programme beneficiaries set up their own small businesses and extricate themselves from poverty. He also directed to begin a project aimed at reclaiming and renovating the old natural drainage channels in the province and complete it before the monsoon season begins.
The President also directed to speed up work on the ongoing developmental projects in the province to meet the targets by the close of financial year in June.
The President gave these multiple directions during a meeting held at Bilawal House here Wednesday 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 loans.
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 ongoing development projects, the total allocations under the ADP is Rs111 billion.
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 not been in use for variety of reasons for several 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 said that the Presidency should be kept fully informed about the progress of 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 300,000 interest free loans advanced to them under the Waseela-i-Haq programme 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 programme of BISP beneficiaries.
For more information, contact:
Farhatullah Babar
Spokesperson to the President
Tell: +9251 920 4530 and +9251 920 4974
Email: farhat.babar@president.gov.pk