XN000022-1979-08-29 — Page 3

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29, 1979

+IT WILL BE CONNECTED BY ROAD TO THE MAIN COMMUNICATION ARTERIES OF SHA TIN AND THE WHOLE DEVELOPMENT TIMETABLE HAS BEEN DRAWN UP TO RUN PARALLEL WITH THE ELECTRIFICATION PROGRAMME WHICH WILL TRANSFORM THE K.C.R. INTO A RAPID SURFACE TRANSIT SYSTEM LINKING KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES, HE ADDED.

THE GOVERNMENT ITSELF WILL UNDERTAKE TO BUILD THE $175 MILLION PODIUM, INCLUDING THE BUILDING OF 825 METRES OF ACCESS ROADS, WHICH WILL BE FINANCED IN INSTALMENTS BY THE DEVELOPER.

IT IS EXPECTED TO HAND OVER THE FIRST HALF OF THE PODIUM SITE TO YEE PANG IN ABOUT 30 MONTHS' TIME AND THE REST OF IT ABOUT SIX MONTHS LATER.

THE WHOLE PROJECT IS SCHEDULED FOR COMPLETION BY 1984.

PUBLIC ENQUIRY COUNTERS POPULAR

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MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE MAKING INCREASING USE OF THE 27 PUBLIC ENQUIRY COUNTERS OF THE HOME AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT TO SOLVE THE IR PROBLEMS.

DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THIS YEAR, A TOTAL OF 1 580 153 ENQUIRIES WAS HANDLED, THE MAJORITY OF WHICH WAS CONNECTED WITH THE DISTRIBUTION OF FORMS AND BOOKLETS.

THE DEMAND FOR GOVERNMENT'S POSTAL APPLICATION FORMS WERE THE HIGHEST WITH 152 533 REQUESTS. THE OTHERS IN GREAT DEMAND WERE THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC AND TECHNICAL INSTITUTES' ENROLMENT FORMS (142 052), WALK FOR A MILLION SPONSOR FORMS (55 916) AND PUBLIC HOUSING APPLICATION FORMS (35 170).

OTHER ENQUIRIES AND CASES HANDLED WERE RELATED TO MATTERS ON TECHNICAL EDUCATION (26 019), LOCATION AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS OF GOVERNMENT OFFICES (21 694), APPLICATION FOR PUBLIC HOUSING (21 662), GOVERNMENT JOBS AND VACANCIES (16 937) AND MARRIAGE REGISTRY MATTERS (16 800),

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE HOME AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT SAID THE STAFF OF THE PUBLIC ENQUIRY COUNTERS WERE WELL VERSED IN GOVERNMENT PROCEDURES AND THEY WERE SUPPLIED WITH UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION MATERIAL BY THE DEPARTMENT'S INFORMATION SECTION, SO THAT THEY COULD PROVIDE ACCURATE INFORMATION AND DETAILED EXPLANATION TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.

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