KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has directed the social welfare department to establish a centre for elderly homeless people to enable them to lead a respectable life without having to work hard for a living.

He issued these directives while presiding over a meeting of the department here at CM House on Tuesday.

The meeting was attended by chief secretary Siddique Memeon, principal secretary Alamuddin Bullo and social welfare secretary Shariq Ahmed.

The chief minister said that he had seen elderly people either doing hard labour for their livelihood or begging before others.

`Theor conditions are very painful and must be addressed by the government by giving them a beautiful home where they could spend their life with dignity.

Social welfare secretary Shariq Ahmed said on earlier directives of the CM three rehabilitation centres for transvestites had been established where they were imparted different computer skills and IT courses. `These centres are in Karachi, Sukkur and Larkana having enrolment of 20 to 25 at each centre.

The chief minister also directed the social welfare department to set up more such centres for transvestites where they could receive basic education.

`We have to make them usefulcitizens and instead of allowing them to keep begging on roads, they must be encouraged to receive education and get government jobs,` he said and added that necessary measures must be taken to bring them in the mainstream.

The meeting participants were told that there were four Darul AmaneachinKarachi,Hyderabad, SukkurandLarkana.

The chief minister directed the chief secretary to personally visit the centres and ensure their proper maintenance.

The secretary said that the social welfare department also ran 12 rehabilitation centres for special children and adults and five of them were for adults and seven for children. Apart from it, the department also ran three Darul Itfal (for children) one each in Hyderabad, Karachi and Sukkur. The Hyderabad centre (Darul Itfal) is purely for girls.

Mr Sharig said that his department also ran 76 centres all over Sindh where stitching and embroidery work was taught. `These centres play an important role in enabling poor girls and women to earn their living respectfully,` he said.

He said his department also ran eight community development centres in different districts.

The chief minister said that the social welfare department needed to be strengthened furthers. `I want you to establish a centre for elderly homeless persons where men and women of above 65 of age could live,` he said and directed chief secretary to ensure allocation of funds for this scheme.