KARACHI: The ambitious Zulfikarabad project has been put on hold, revealed Sindh Health Minister Sikander Mandhro.

He was responding to legislators` queries during the Question Hour that pertained to the services, general administration and coordination department during the Sindh Assembly`s Monday session.

Mr Mandhro was responding to questions in the absence of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah who holds the department`s portfolio but was not present in the assembly during Question Hour.

Responding to a question by Muttahida QaumiMovement (MQM)legislator Naheed Begum regarding the project, the minister said that earlier, an industrial and coastal city as well as a port were to be developed on government and private land. However, some issues related to private land as well as other concerns were raised and as a result the ambitious project has been delayed and would be taken up after the issues are settled.He said that currently only a port was to be developed near the once flourishing and historic Keti Bandar, which since long has been non-operational. The port would be developed on government land by the Sindh administration independently, without any help or administrative control and interference from the federal government. A small fishing town would also be set up. To another of her questions, the minister said that since the project had not yet been finalised, there was no set budget.

Responding to a question by Pakistan Muslim League-Functional legislator Nusrat Abbasi the minister said that the work and planning on the project started in 2010 and various studies, surveys etc had been carried out. However, at present it could not be said as to when the project would be completed. He added that he could not estimate how much money has so far been spent on it or when it would be completed.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf legislator Seema Zia questioned the reason why such high rent (over Rs450,000) was being paid for the Zulfikarabad project office in Shirin Jinnah Colony. Bungalows in the DH A locality were available for around Rs100,000 rent only, she elaborated.

MQM legislator Mehfooz Yar Khan raised concerns as to why the office was set up in arented premises when the first chief of the project had set up the ofñce in a government building. The minister said that he was not aware of it; a committee was set up which had found the premises and obtained it on rent.

Irregularities in dept Responding to a question by MQM legislator Dilawar Qureshi regarding the auditor general`s (AG) report which had pointed out irregularities of over Rs7 billion in the department, the minister said that the AG had raised 88 objections involving Rs1.8bn only.

He said that 43 objections had been settled while the remaining 45 were being discussed and the report had not been finalised yet. The report, once finalised and submitted to the assembly, would be sent to the Public Accounts Committee which would discuss it and then take action on the issues mentioned by the audit.

Responding to a question by MQM legislator Rashid Khilji about there being a difference in salaries of the employees posted at the secretariat and those posted at the directorates, the minister said that government servants, posted anywhere, received their salaries according to their grades.

However, those appointed on contract basisreceived a mutually agreed amount.

MQM legislator Dewanchand Chawla inquired about the death of a newborn in Sukkur who, when brought in by the parents, was not admitted to any hospital as the doctors kept telling the parents to go from one hospital to the other and the child died before getting any medical assistance.

The minister said that it was painful news and he had immediately called up the relevant official but was not satisfied with the response. He then called the Sukkur commissioner to report to him immediately and when the preliminary report came in a few hours, and the doctor on the basis of the report was to be blamed, he was suspended immediately. An inquiry was being conducted and stern action would be taken against those found guilty.

With regard to why the departments had been merged and bifurcated, and was it done to accommodate more ministers, the minister responded that the government wished the work to be streamlined and carried out smoothly, hence this decision.

Ms Zia said that though she had submitted some short-notice questions over a year back, which under the rules are to be responded to within 15 days, she still had not received a response. Ms Raza asked the assembly secretary to look into the issue and report back.