KARACHI   -  Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, presiding over a Cabinet meeting, called on the federal government to stop power distribution companies from penalising citizens under the pretext of line losses, approved the Sindh Public Service Commission’s proposal to maintain a waiting list of successful candidates for future vacancies, created 434 clinical care positions in teaching hospitals, sanctioned Rs. 367.5 million for a new 36-bed hospital in Taiser Town, and empowered SHOs with Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) powers for effective management of police stations.

The cabinet also approved the Drawing & Disbursing (DDO) Powers to the Station House Officers (SHOs) all over Sindh so that they can make necessary expenditures to run their police stations in the public interest.

The cabinet was held at CM House on Friday. It was attended by provincial ministers, advisors, the Chief Secretary, the Chairman P&D and other concerned officers.

Amendment in SPSC Regulations: Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) proposed an amendment in SPSC (Recruitment Management) Regulations, 2023 regarding the maintenance 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 Regulation No.148 to enable the Commission to maintain a waiting list of next-in-line successful candidates to be further recommended to the concerned Department if some posts remain unfilled during the same recruitment process. The cabinet was told that a similar provision already exists in the Federal Public Service Commission. The cabinet approved the appointment.

SHO gets DDO powers:  The Sindh cabinet 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 have 407 police stations and their budget would be 35.4 million.

The cabinet also approved an amendment in the Sindh Police Financial Powers Rules 2019 under which a Station House Officer (SHO), of grade BPS-16, has been given Drawing & Disbursing Officer (DDO) power and authorised to draw Rs200,000 per month.  The CM termed the move to strengthen police at the grassroots level an effective delivery service.  

Load Management: The Sindh government has called for reforms in load management laws to address ongoing load shedding and inefficiencies in distribution companies (DISCOs). The CM approved the recommendations and directed the Energy dept to send them to Power Division, Ministry of Energy.

CM said that it was an injustice that the DISCOs switch off the entire feeder if a few people are not paying their bills and even to meet the line or technical losses the customers are penalised which was unconstitutional.  The government seeks amendments to current laws allowing economic load shedding, arguing it leads to discriminatory practices violating Article 25 of the Constitution, which ensures equality before the law. In a recent NEPRA public hearing, Rs 50 million fines were imposed on five DISCOs, including K-Electric and HESCO, for excessive load shedding in 2022.

Creation of 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 contract basis against the surrendered posts in each teaching hospital in the best public interest.

Funds approved for Taiser Town Hospital: At the request of the health department, the cabinet approved Rs.367.500 million for a 36-bed Health dept hospital, Taiser Town Karachi. The hospital is being run by the Pakistan National Forum on Women’s Health (PNFWH), Karachi for year 20.

Partnership with HELP: 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 the NGO HELP to run them round the clock (24/7). These MCHCs are located  in the remote areas of district Tharparkar.  

The cabinet also approved a budget of Rs136.23 million for the nine MCH centres.

Recruitment of vaccinators: The cabinet allowed the Health Department to conduct the interviews of the candidates against 715 vacant posts of vaccinators in EPI Sindh.

The National Testing Service (NTS) has already conducted the examination test of the candidates against the advertised 715 posts, around 92,359 candidates appeared out of them 10,234 candidates obtained qualifying passing marks of 50 and were declared successful in the written test. However, interviews were not conducted.

Sindh Seed Corporation: The Sindh cabinet decided to introduce drastic reforms in Sindh Seed Corporation (SSC) to make it an organisation to support the growers in the provision of quality seed.

It was proposed that qualified professionals may be hired from the Market. The SSC would have an efficient Management Board. 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 propose how to make the SSC an effective, profitable and grower-friendly organisation.  

Minimum Wage: The rise in the minimum wage for unskilled labourers, from Rs. 32000/- to Rs. 37000/- 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.

PM package 2024: The cabinet was told that in commemoration of International Women’s Day, 8th March 2024, the Prime Minister of Pakistan announced the Women Empowerment Package 2024 to bring women at par in every walk of life. The package comprises twenty-one directives related to improving different aspects of women’s lives, to be effectively implemented by various departments within the agreed timeline.

The cabinet approved the proposal to authorise the Women’s Development Department to participate in the PM 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 Chairman Sindh Revenue Board (SRB) from November 2024 to December 2025.

The jurisdiction of Gulshan-i-Sikandar was excluded from the District South and Boat Basin Police Station and included in District West and Police Station Jackson.