KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Thursday said development schemes would be a priority of his government so that they could benefit people.

`I want to take up old schemes which can be completed for public interest at the earliest for which proper paperwork must be done, Mr Shah said while presiding over a meeting on the Annual Development Programme (ADP) in which old schemes were discussed in detail.

Provincial ministers and the chief secretary attended the meeting.

Schemes belonging to seven provincial ministries going back to 2008 or earlier came under discussion. They belonged to education, health, local government, public health engineering, works and services, culture, sports and youth affairs sectors.

Themeetingwasinformed that 10 schemes regarding upgrade of 460 primary schools to middle schools were approved in 2008 for Rs1,301.725 million. This year, Rs130m were allocated for the purpose against which Rs115m have been released.

Education Minister Jam Mehtab Dahar said that out of 246 schools, over 130 units had been completed while the work on others was in progress. The chief minister said only Rs399.4m throwforward was left and he would sanction more funds if they could be completed. The minister said he was reviewing every scheme and would file a priority list with the CM secretariat for approval.

Another scheme of construction of 450 two-room schools for shelter-less primary schools was launched for Rs521.702m in 2008.

The government allocated Rs64.295m against which Rs27.148m had been released. Secretary education Aziz Ugaili said 30pc schools had been completed while work was in progress on some of them.

Themeetingwasinformed that work on Rs525.382m scheme of introducing computer education in 230 middle schools had not been started. Mr Shah asked the education ministry to prepare the scheme afresh with latest requirement and include it in the next ADP with new title.

Mr Shah sought progress a report from the education department within one week on the scheme of establishing five public schools in Tando Mohammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Benazirabad, Ubauro and Tando Adam for Rs1.33 billion against which Rs70m had been allocated and Rs25m released.

Upgrading of 115 middle schools to the level of high school launched for Rs2,006.364m against which Rs175m had been allocated while the releases are Rs150m.