Sindh cabinet raises voice against non-implementation of water accord

KARACHI (May 24, 2021): The provincial cabinet expressed serious reservations on the water shortage during the on-going Kharif season and termed it a `Sindh-enmity’ attitude and urged the federal government to distribute water shortage between the provinces as per 1991 water Accord.

“The crops are turning pale in Sindh and the IRSA has failed to implement the accord,” the members observed.

The cabinet meeting was held under the chairmanship of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah here at CM House. The meeting was attended by provincial ministers, advisors, chief secretary Mumtaz Shah, Advocate General Sindh Salman Talibuddin and other concerned.

At the outset of the meeting, the cabinet members said that due water shortage, the growers of Sindh were facing serious problems. The cabinet members admitted that there was water shortage in the system, and these shortages must be distributed between the provinces as per agreed formula in the accord. But this was not being done and an exclusive favour was being given to Punjab,” the cabinet members observed.

The cabinet also expressed reservation on the on-going anti-encroachment drive launched by Pakistan Railways in different districts, particularly in Sukkur and Rohri.

It was revealed that on pretext of encroachment the railway authorities were bulldozing houses of poor people. The cabinet member requested the chief minister to take up both the issues, water shortage and railway’s anti-encroachment drive.

Municipal Functions:

The local government department requested the cabinet that the solid waste management functions of Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, municipal committees of Qasimabad, Kotri, Tando Allahyar along with concerned staff members and moveable assets may be transferred to Sindh Solid Waste Management Board so that proper cleanliness of the said cities could be made properly.

Minister Local Government Syed Nasir Shah briefing the cabinet said that in the first phase the SSWMB has initiated a process of middle-end collection of the said cities.

The cabinet approved the proposal and the chief minister directed the local government department that during the transition period, the existing operation of solid waste management would continue by the councils.

“The local government department would notify the date for transfer of functions from the councils to the board,” he said.

The cabinet also accorded post facto-approval for the transfer of the sanitation (solid waste management) department of DMCs- East, West, Kiamari, Malir Korangi, South and Central for SSWMB.

Chairmen educational boards:

The University & Boards department told the meeting that the tenure of chairman of different educational boards has either expired or is at the verge of expiring. He requested for extension of their tenure till the appointment of new chairmen.

The Cabinet after the decision decided to extend the tenure of Syed Ghulam Mujtaba Shah Chairman BISE Sukkur and Barkat Ali Hyderi Chairman BISE Mirpurkhas, Dr Mohammad Memon Chairman BISE Hyderabad for a period of three months. By the time the U&B dept was directed to advertise the positions and appoint new chairman through a competitive process.

The cabinet decided to remove Dr Mohammad Farooq Hassan from the Chairmanship of BISE Shaheed Benazirabad because he has been appointed Vice Chancellor University of veterinary. In his place a suitable educationist would be appointed as chairman.

The cabinet ratified the appointments of Dr Saeeduddin as Chairman BISE Karachi and Syed Sharraf Ali Shah as Chairman BSE Karachi.

The cabinet directed the U & B department to inform the forum at least three month before the retirement of a chairman so that the recruitment process could be started well in time.

Mass Transit Authority:

The Transport department presented draft recruitment (services) Rules for the posts of Sindh Mass Transit Authority. The Sindh Mass Transit Authority is going to recruit 124 staff members in different positions.

They include eight staff members of the Managing Director Secretariat, four for secretary Board, 32 for Director Infrastructure and Planning, 26 for Directorate of Bus Operations & ITS, 36 for Directorate of Administration & Enforcement and 18 Directorate of Finance & Accounts.

Earlier, on the instructions of the chief minister, the transport department, the staff of the chairman, Vice chairman and deputy managing directors of MTA were deleted. Instead of nine directorates, the chief minister approved only four directorates.

The cabinet approved the recruitment rules of the SMA.

Sindh Revenue Board

Chairman Sindh Revenue Board (SRB) Khalid Mahmood briefing the cabinet proposed to grant remission of penalty and interest/additional amount for two categories as follows:

Total remission/waiver of amount of penalty and interest/additional amount if the whole of the outstanding principal amounts of the funds are deposited during the period from June 1 to 18, 2021. And the remission/waiver of the amounts exceeding 5 percent of the payable amount of penalty and interest/additional amounts if whole of the outstanding principal amounts of funds are deposited during the period from June 19 to 30, 2021.

The chairman SRB told the cabinet that the proposed relief was likely to secure outstanding arrears of Workers Welfare Fund and Sindh Companies Profits (workers participation) fund Rs2 billion in June 2021 which would be used for the welfare of the labour in the province.

Environmental Tribunal

The cabinet approved appoint of Justice (retd) Nisar Muhammad Shaikh as Chairman Environmental Protection Tribunal and Abdul Rauf Memon Member (Technical) Mohamamd Arif Advocate member (legal).

Mines Act 2021

Minister Mines & Mineral Shabir Bijarani briefing the cabinet said that the Mines & Mineral department was being regulated under federal Mines Act 1923 to ensure health and safety of mine workers. After 18th amendment the subject of Regulation of labour safety has been devolved to the provinces.

Therefore, a draft bill containing necessary amendments in the Mines Act-1923 retitled as ‘Sindh Metalliferous Mines Act-2015 has been floated. The cabinet was told that the International Labour Organization has also been included in the law for improved protection of mines workers for their health, safety and improved occupational environment. The cabinet approved the draft law and referred it to the assembly.

Rules for Succession: The provincial cabinet approved the rules of The Sindh Letters of Administration and Succession Certificate, 2021. Under the rules, an application for the grant of Letters of Administration or Succession Certificate made by the applicant or his legal counsel in the prescribed form along with certain documents such as death certificate, list of legal heirs along with CNICs, NICOP, or any such instrument.

In the rules a detailed mechanism for obtaining succession certificate has been laid down in seven sections and three forms of Letter of Authorization, Letter of Administration and Succession Certificate  have been given in three Schedules while in the schedule IV fee of Rs20,000 for application and Rs5000 for duplication or amendment has been given.

Sindh EOBI

The cabinet approved appointment of Board of Trustees of SIndh Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution for a period of two years. They include Secretary Labour as President, Chairperson EOBI secretary of the board, representatives of the finance and industries departments as members, representatives of employers: Masood Nai of KATI, M. Irfan FB Area, Jabbar Memon of Kotri and Junaid Makda of Karachi. The representatives of the employees include Hassan Naqi, Riaz Abbasi, Farhat Parveen and Hussain Badshah.