The Sindh cabinet on Saturday decided to make the birth registration service free-of-charge across the province. This move is aimed at simplifying the birth registration process, and making it accessible to the underprivileged communities, a statement issued after the cabinet meeting quoted Information Minister Sharjeel Memon as saying.
Memon said that poor and low-income families would become the ultimate beneficiaries of this move. He said it would also help the relevant authorities gather Sindh’s demographic data. He hoped that the decision would create far-reaching benefits, and ensure that every resident of the province gets a legal identity.
He pointed out that the free birth registration service would also help prevent the menaces of child labour, human smuggling and underage marriages in the province.
The cabinet meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah at the CM House. It was attended by the chief secretary, provincial ministers and other senior government officials.
Drug cultivation
The cabinet approved the proposal of imposing a seven-year sentence and a Rs500,000 fine on anyone involved in the cultivation of crops used for producing banned substances and narcotics.
The cabinet also decided to impose a 14-year sentence and a Rs2 million fine on anyone involved in the production of drugs, and using his premises for the same illegal purpose.
The cabinet also decided to impose a sentence of one year to seven years and a fine of Rs1 million on any person possessing narcotics.
Memon, who also holds the portfolio of excise, taxation & narcotics control, said the cabinet has approved the new set of sentences and fines to step up the government’s fight against the people involved in the menace of drugs.
He said that decisive actions are being taken against such people as the government’s campaign is being expedited. He stressed that no compromises are being made on the matter of drug trafficking and safeguarding the future of the new generation.
He reiterated that the government is firmly resolved to do its best to catch and punish the persons involved in drug trafficking in the province.
Contribution pension
The cabinet approved the implementation of the Sindh Defined Contribution Pension Scheme, 2024, starting from July 1, 2024, under which the government and employees would contribute at a provisional rate of 12 per cent and 10 per cent respectively.
The cabinet approved the insertion of a new subsection in the Sindh Civil Servants Act, 1973. According to the proposed amendment, “an individual who is appointed or regularised as a civil servant on or after the commencement of the Sindh Civil Servants (Amendment) Act, 2024, will be considered a civil servant, except for pension and gratuity.
“Instead, they will participate in a Defined Contribution Pension Scheme, as prescribed. In place of pension and gratuity, the civil servant will be entitled to receive the amount contributed by them, along with the contributions made by the government to their account in the mentioned fund, in the prescribed manner.
“In the unfortunate event of the civil servant’s death, their family will receive the amount from the Contribution Pension Fund, as prescribed in the Defined Contribution Pension Rules to be framed by the government.”
The meeting of the advisory group allowed the laying of the proposed amendment to the Sindh Civil Servants Act, 1973, before the Provincial Assembly of Sindh.
Karoonjhar Mountains
In the light of the order of the Sindh High Court’s Circuit Court Mirpurkhas, the cabinet decided to declare the Karoonjhar Mountains, comprising 21,000 acres, a protected heritage site, and directed the culture department to notify it in the official gazette.
Bottom trawling
The livestock & fisheries department told the cabinet that fisheries play a vital role in contributing to food security, bringing economic opportunities and providing a significant share of livelihood, but overfishing, destructive fishing techniques and the use of prohibited nets have contributed to the deterioration of economically important fish stocks.
They said bottom trawling is the main root cause of the destruction of biodiversity and marine resources. Consequently, the marine resources of the country are facing massive pressure, and need sustainable enforcement measures in the preservation of fish stock.
Bottom trawling is an indiscriminate fishing method, as dragging the large, weighted nets sweeps away everything from the seafloor, and in the process, a large quantity of by-catch or non-targeted species are trapped.
It also destroys the natural seafloor habitats, and affects all bottom-dwelling biomass, including plants and animals. Bottom trawling has a detrimental effect on sea life and marine ecosystems.
The cabinet approved the amendment to the Fisheries Rules, 1983, under which no person would be allowed to fish with an encircling net or improvised net, locally called “wire net” or “ring net”, and bottom trawl net, locally called “trawls”, “Gujja”, “Gujjo” or “Gujji”, in the creek areas and up to 12 nautical miles from the shore along the coast and territorial waters of Sindh.
Thar RO plant
The cabinet approved a grant of Rs434.109 million to restore the Islamkot Mega RO Plant of 1.5mgd filtration capacity in District Tharparkar. The CM directed the public health engineering department to expedite the rehabilitation of the plant within three months for the benefit of the locals.
IT company
After holding a discussion, the advisory group approved the forming of the Sindh IT Company to start the journey towards a modern, digital Sindh.
Honoraria
The school education department told the cabinet that the 5,019 teachers of the National Commission for Human Development and Basic Education Community Schools are still drawing an honorarium of Rs25,000 per month.
These teachers had been handed to the provincial government in August 2022. Their services had been engaged on August 11, 2022, for the school education & literacy department on fixed terms and conditions, such as fixed remuneration of Rs25,000 per month, with a five per cent annual increase until they attain the age of 55 years.
After a thorough discussion, the cabinet approved a grant of Rs37,000 per month as remuneration to these teachers, creating an additional burden of Rs539.542 million on the exchequer.
Cadet College Kakar
The cabinet endorsed the decision to hand over the Cadet College Kakar in District Dadu to the Pakistan Navy, along with the approval of establishing a board of governors for the college. The cabinet also approved a grant of Rs250 million for completing the remaining components of the college.
The cabinet directed the college education department to start admissions at the cadet college, and make the learning and training facility functional. The college has been established over an area of 104.22 acres.
Benazir Hari Card
The cabinet approved the issuance of the Benazir Hari Card to Haris who have a maximum of 25 acres. Various kinds of subsidies, facilities, relief, distribution of Bardana for wheat procurement and other government interventions aimed at farmers/tenants and landholders of agricultural land may be provided to the card holders.
Shifting of control
The cabinet approved the shifting of administrative control of the Sindh Institute of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation from the health department to the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPD) because the Sindh Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2018, gives an exclusive mandate to the DEPD to protect all the rights of persons with disabilities.