KARACHI - On the first day of resuming his office of chief minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah Sunday chaired meetings on law and order and water shortage issue in the province.

The chief minister in his speech after being elected on the floor of the provincial assembly assured that law and order would be his priority.

On the same day in the assembly, he assured the opposition lawmakers who raised the issue of water shortage in urban-especially Karachi – and rural areas of the province that he would be addressing the issue immediately.

On Sunday, the chief minister chaired two separate meetings on the issue and directed the authorities to submit a report on the water shortage and speedup activities to control street crimes and other criminal activities in the province.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in his first meeting which he chaired at CM House directed the Inspector General of Police to launch crackdown against street criminals, “This should not only be controlled but eliminated.”

He said that in his speech on the floor of the house he had spelt out that maintenance of law & order would his top priority, “this is why on Sunday I am holding this meeting,” he said and added “the street crime was undoing all the government efforts he had taken to restore law and order in the city, therefore a decisive action is required to eliminate this [social] evil,” he said.

The IGP told the chief minister that a targeted operation was in progress and it would definitely produce good results. At this the chief minister said that the targeted operation must be made stricter and focused.  He directed him to make the SHOs responsible for controlling street crime, otherwise take strict action against them.

Additional IG Karachi Dr Ameer Shaikh said that there was a drug mafia and other mafias behind the street crimes. He added that those who are running the racket of beggars in the city are also involved in street crimes. The chief minister directed the IG police to launch operation against drug mafia, including the peddlers and edicts. “Just after Eid necessary measures would be taken to send the edicts to the rehabilitation centers or to the welfare organisations,” he said added he did not want to see the beggars standing on all the round about. “There should be an operation against them,” he said.

IG Police briefing the chief minister on law & order said that there were six police Ranges in the province with a strength of 123,983 policemen. He added that there were 30 police districts, and 623 police stations all over Sindh. A this the chief minister said that if the population of the province is divided with the total strength of the police there would a ratio of 1 policeman for 410 people. “This is not bad ratio but we have to make the police more responsive, hardworking and dedicated to control the crime,” he said and added this would be possible with capacity building of the police.

The IG police told the chief minister that 10,269 policemen were receiving different trainings. 8300 policemen are on In-service courses, 1237 are receiving training army training centers, 432 are receiving special training by Pakistan Army and 300 are doing specialized commando courses. The capacity building process as launched by the chief minister during his last tenure was in progress. 

Giving details of general law and order situation, the IG told the chief minister that 621 miscreants have been bound down under heavy securities while there was strict vigilance on 761 persons included in the 4th Schedule. Campaign to arrest all proclaimed offenders was in progress and the police station record was also being updated.

Talking about challenges, IG Police Amjad Javed Saleemi said that terrorism, kidnapping for ransom & extortion, security of CPEC projects and capacity issues of Investigators but with the support of the government these challenges have been faced with proper strategy and resources.

He also said that during 2018 to this date 622 encounters were conducted in which 1122 were arrested red-handed. Some 8128 criminals have been arrested while busting 396 gangs. In the encounters 73 criminals were neutralized and two LMG, eight G-3, 145 SMGS and 5204 pistols were recovered.

The chief minister directed the IG to ensure proper maintenance of law and order during the Eid days. “After Eid a comprehensive plan would be worked out to make this city free of street crime and a similar policy would be launched in other districts of the province where law and order situation is fragile,” he said.

In his second meeting on water issues, both irrigational and drinking here at the CM House, Murad Ali Shah expressed his serious reservations on water shortage in Sindh during Kharif season and directed Irrigation department to submit him a detail report of the losses caused to the sowing of paddy crop.

The meeting was attended by Secretary Irrigation Jamal Shah, Secretary Local Government Khalid Hyder Shah, Secretary Public Health Engineering Department Saeed Mangnijo, PD K-IV Asad Zamin and representative of water board.

The chief minister said that sowing of paddy crop in Sindh starts by second week of May but this year due to acute water shortage which was estimated at 40 percent went upto 60 percent the growers became very late. He added that those who had started cultivation in time suffered huge loss as their lands seedlings could not receive water.

He directed Secretary Irrigation to give him a detailed report within a week about the losses caused to paddy crop due water shortage.

Secretary irrigation Jamal Shah told the chief minister that water position started improving from July 15. Giving current water position to the chief minister, he said that on Sunday (today) Upstream Guddu 248175 cusecs have been recorded while downstream it is 220266.

He added upstream Sukkur water position is 198770 and downstream 143800 cusecs, Upstream Kotri 51840 cusecs and downstream 10080 cusecs have been recorded.

The chief minister said that now water position is considerably better and directed the secretary Irrigation to ensure proper release of water in the irrigation system of Larkana, Dadu, Badin and Thatta.   He also asked him to ensure provision of water to the tail-enders. “When water position is better why growing are crying for water? he asked and went on saying to manage is properly.

PHE Dept: Secretary PHE department Saeed Mangnijo briefing the chief minister said that that there were 220 ongoing water and sewerage development schemes in the province, of them 66 have been completed while 26 six others are at the advance stage and would be completed by September 2018.

Talking about 547 non-functional water supply and drainage schemes phase-I, he said that on the directives of the chief minister [first tenure of Murad Ali Shah] rehabilitation work has been started. He said 62 schemes have been rehabilitated and put in operation and work on 18 others are near completion and added tendering process for 391 schemes have also been completed and contracts would be awarded shortly.

The chief minister was told that tendering process for establishment 17 water testing laboratories has been processed. The chief minister directed the secretary to award contract by the end of this months.

It may be noted that there are there are 1950 water supply/RO plant schemes which are being converted on solar system. Due electricity issues 950 schemes are either un-functional or working partially. This is why Sindh chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah during his previous tenure had decided to convert them on solar energy.

In the third phase, 700 new of water supply/RO plants schemes are being constructed on solar system.

KWSB: The chief minister directed water board to ensure proper supply of water to Karachiites during eid days. “I know the issues of power outages and others but make sure there should be no complaint,” he directed the water board.  The chief minister said that after Eid he would review the K-IV project in detail.