Sindh cabinet specifies right of way for M-9 project

The Sindh cabinet approved an amendment in the West Pakistan Highways Ordinance on Thursday to provide for the construction of any permanent or temporary structure within 50 metres from the middle of the Super Highway, now the M-9 section motorway, on its right and 50 metres on its left being right of way of the project.

The approval came at a meeting of the cabinet at New Secretariat under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah. The meeting was attended by all provincial ministers, secretaries, advisors, special assistants, chief secretary Rizwan Memon.

The amended ordinance would be called West Pakistan Highways (Sindh Amendment) Act 2018. The meeting was told that after the upgradation of the Super Highway to the M-9 motorway, the right of way was being expanded to hundreds of metres (by the contractors of the project) without any justification. In other provinces where motorways or highways were built, only 50 metres’ right of way on both sides was duly given; therefore, the same standard was being also adopted in Sindh. The amendment was referred to the provincial assembly for discussion and approval.

Wheat for Thar

The cabinet also discussed the drought-like situation in Thar and called for the distribution of free wheat among the people. The chief minister pointed out that a similar drought-like situation also prevailed in Achhro Thar, Kachho and Kohistan areas of Sindh.

Minister for Local Governments Jam Khan Shoro said the chief minister had formed a committee to assess the situation in Thar. He said he had held meetings with all stakeholders in the DC Office Mithi, and the officials concerned told him that the area received downpour but those rains were not enough for crops.

He also said that the free distribution of wheat in different phases had improved nutrition among the people of the desert and also reduced the mortality rate among the population. The cabinet approved free distribution of wheat, one bag per family, among the people of Thar. In the desert area of Umerkot, Achhro Thar, Kachho and Kohistan, a wheat distribution mechanism would be evolved by a committee headed by Senior Minister for Food Nisar Khuhro.

From 2014 to 2017, free 1,876,378 bags of wheat were distributed in 11 phases. The cost of the wheat comes to Rs6.6 billion.

Water commission

The health department took an item for relaxation of SPPRA (Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority) Rules for the procurement of eight incinerators for Rs227.96 million and three ultra filtration units for Rs52.315 million.

The total amount comes to Rs280.281 million, which may also be sanctioned outside the budget. Health Secretary Dr Fazlullah Pechuho told the meeting that the judiciary-appointed water commission had directed him to expedite the procurement; therefore, necessary permission and approval may be accorded.

The cabinet approved the procurement of necessary machinery, approved a budget and also allowed they health department to open LC (letter of credit). SPPRA rules were relaxed to expedite the procedure.

Regularisation of vets

The cabinet was told that 145 veterinary officers belonging to different districts of the province were appointed on a contract basis. A pay of Rs50,000 for male and a pay of Rs60,000 for female veterinary officers were fixed for a period of three years in 2015. The contracts of these doctors have been extended for one more year till June 2018.

The cabinet, on the recommendation of the livestock department, approved regularisation of the services of vet officers and referred their draft bill to the Sindh Assembly. The chief minister directed the health secretary to bring the papers for the regularisation of doctors working on a contract basis in the next cabinet meeting. He also directed other departments to send summaries for the regularisation of the services of their contractual employees if they had.

Amendment for BRT

The cabinet approved an amendment in Article 52-A of the KDA President Order 5 of 1957. Under the amendment, a bus depot of the BRT Green Line project over an eight acres’ amenity plot reserved for a playground would be built.

The ground has 12 acres. The cabinet approved the construction of a bus depot on eight acres and the development of a playground on the remaining four acres.

Law officer services

The law department proposed an amendment in the Law Officers (Condition of Service) Rule 1940. Under the amendment, the “appointment of additional advocate general shall be made by the chief minister from amongst the lawyers with not less than seven years’ standing service as an advocate. The appointment of assistant advocate general shall be made by the chief minister from amongst with not less than five years standing as an advocate.” The cabinet approved the amendment.

The cabinet also discussed and approved the Sindh Holy Quran (Printing, Recording and Disposal of damaged or Shaheed and Sacred Auraqs) Act, 2018. Under the approved draft law, a proper printing of the Holy Quran and the disposal procedure for damaged pages have been provided.

The law department put up nomination/recalling from anti-terrorism courts, saying that the registrar of the Sindh high court had conveyed that the chief justice had been pleased to recall advocates and retired judges for their appointments to the ATCs.

The cabinet directed the advocate general to get some clarification from the high court regarding re-employment so that appointments could be appointed.

Budget strategy paper

The cabinet was briefed about the budget strategy paper 2018-19 to 2020-21 prepared by the finance and P&D departments. The main features of the budget strategy paper include the government’s policies, priorities, strategic allocation of resources and key macro-economic assumptions over the medium-term framework.

The meeting was told that the total revenue of 2017-18 was estimated at Rs854.3 billion against which Rs773.4 billion was approved. The federal government has given around Rs75 billion less than the estimated receipts.

The chief minister directed the finance department to circulate the budget strategy paper among the cabinet members so that it could be discussed in detail in the next cabinet meeting.

Later, briefing journalists after the cabinet meeting, Information Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said it had been decided by the government that the newly constituted Sindh Food Authority would start its mandatory inspection work to check the quality of food and beverage service being provided by big hotels in Karachi.