The Sindh cabinet on Friday approved increasing the minimum wage of unskilled labourers in the province from Rs32,000 to Rs37,000.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah presided over the cabinet meeting, which called for the federal government to stop power distribution companies from penalising citizens under the pretext of line losses.
The cabinet also approved the Sindh Public Service Commission’s (SPSC) proposal to maintain a waiting list of successful candidates for future vacancies, created 434 clinical care positions in teaching hospitals, and sanctioned Rs367.5 million for a new 36-bed hospital in Taiser Town.
The meeting was held at the CM House. It was attended by provincial ministers, advisers, the chief secretary, planning and development board chairman, and other officers.
SPSC regulations
The SPSC had earlier proposed an amendment to the SPSC (Recruitment Management) Regulations 2023 for the creation of a ‘waiting list’ to fill in the vacancies arising as a result of non-joining of various recommended candidates during the recruitment process.
The amendment was proposed in the Regulation No 148 to enable the commission to maintain a waiting list of next-in-line successful candidates to be further recommended to the department concerned if some posts remained unfilled during the same recruitment process.
After the cabinet was told that a similar provision already existed in the Federal Public Service Commission rules, the provincial cabinet approved the amendment.
SHO powers
The cabinet approved an amendment to the Sindh Police Financial Powers Rules 2019 under which the SHOs of grade BPS-16 have been given the powers of DDOs to draw Rs200,000 per month.
The CM Sindh termed the move to strengthen police at the grassroots level an effective delivery service.
The cabinet also approved Rs69.2 million for 485 police stations in the province, including Rs33.8 million for 78 police stations of the Karachi division. The other divisions, which have 407 police stations, would be given Rs35.4 million funds.
The jurisdiction of Gulshan-e-Sikandar was excluded from District South and Boat Basin Police Station and included in District West and Jackson police station.
Load management
The Sindh government had called for reforms in load management laws to address the ongoing loadshedding and inefficiencies in the operations of power distribution companies (Discos).
The CM approved the recommendations and directed the energy department to send them to the power division of the Ministry of Energy.
Shah said it was injustice that the Discos switched off the entire feeder if a few people were not paying their bills. He added that even to meet line or technical losses, customers were penalised, which was unconstitutional.
The government seeks amendments to the current laws allowing economic loadshedding, arguing that it leads to discriminatory practices violating the Article 25 of the Constitution, which ensures equality before the law.
In a recent public hearing conducted by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority, Rs50 million fines were imposed on five Discos, including the K-Electric and Hyderabad Electric Supply Company, for excessive loadshedding in 2022.
Subspecialist posts
On the request of the health department, the cabinet approved the surrender of 731 redundant posts with an annual financial implication of Rs336.729 million in each teaching hospital and created 434 clinical care posts with an annual financial implication of Rs1.16 billion for hiring of staff on a contractual basis against the surrendered posts in each teaching hospital.
Also on the request of the health department, the cabinet approved Rs367.500 million for a 36-bed hospital in Taiser Town. The hospital is being run by the Pakistan National Forum on Women's Health (PNFWH), Karachi.
The cabinet, on the recommendation of the health department, approved handing over nine dispensaries upgraded to the level of Maternal and Child Health (MCH) centres to an NGO HELP for running them round the clock.
These MCHCs are located in the remote areas of Tharparkar district. The cabinet approved a budget of Rs136.23 million for the nine MCH centres.
Vaccinators
The cabinet also allowed the health department to conduct interviews of the candidates against 715 vacant posts of vaccinators in the EPI Sindh.
The National Testing Service (NTS) has already conducted the examination test of the candidates against the 715 advertised posts. Around 92,359 candidates appeared for the exam, of whom 10,234 candidates obtained passing marks of 50 and were declared successful in the written test.
However, their interviews are yet to be conducted.
Seed Corporation
The provincial cabinet decided to introduce drastic reforms in the Sindh Seed Corporation (SSC) to support the growers by providing them quality seed.
It was proposed that qualified professionals be hired from the market for the SSC. The SSC may introduce market-based commercial activities through the private sector.
The CM constituted a cabinet committee with Jam Khan Shoro, Syed Zulfiqar Shah and Syed Sardar Shah to submit recommendations for making the SSC an effective, profitable and grower-friendly organisation.
Minimum wage
A rise in the minimum wage for unskilled labourers from Rs32,000 to Rs37,000 was sanctioned for the fiscal year 2024-25. The provincial cabinet approved minimum wage for unskilled workers at Rs37,000, semi-skilled Rs38,280, skilled Rs45,910 and high-skilled Rs47,868.
The cabinet was told that in commemoration of International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024, the prime minister announced the Women Empowerment Package 2024 to bring women on a par with men in every walk of life.
The package comprises 21 directives related to improving different aspects of women’s lives. The cabinet approved a proposal to authorise the women development department to participate in the PM’s package in which the provincial government would also be given a matching grant.
The CM directed the department to establish daycare centres in all districts for which the department would submit its proposals.
The cabinet on the recommendation of the finance department extended the contract period of Dr Wasif Ali Memon as the chairman of the Sindh Revenue Board (SRB) from November 2024 till December 2025.
