KARACHI -Pakistan People’s Party lawmaker Mir Nadir Magsi on Monday lambasted his provincial government over acute shortage and theft of water in interior Sindh and asked the Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah to take notice of the issue or else ‘we cannot enter our constituencies’. Speaking on a point of order during the Sindh Assembly session, Magsi was of the view that: “Tail-end areas of the province face acute water shortage as it gets stolen on the way. Even the constituency from where Benazir Bhutto was elected face water scarcity. The people have taken to streets against water shortage, but to no avail. The main issue is fair distribution of available water,” he added.
Magsi said that some of his party colleagues were also defaming the PPP by making this water crisis. During the PPP member’s criticising speech on the government, opposition members kept appreciating him by thumping the desk.
PTI PROTEST -The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf members protested when the privilege motion of their Parliamentary Leader Haleem Adil Shaikh was ruled out of order by the Deputy Speaker. Shaikh moved the privilege motion against the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Mukesh Kumar Chawla for leveling ‘false’ allegations against him. “Chawla had accused me of using inappropriate words against the PPP women but never uttered such words as I respect women. A privilege motion was also passed against me on this issue. My privilege motion should also be sent to the committee,” he added. The privilege motion; however, opposed by Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani who termed it against the rules. The PTI members started protesting soon after the Deputy Speaker Rehana Laghari ruled the privilege motion out of order.
‘Sanitation is very challenging job’
Earlier in the Question Hour, Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani said that the sanitation was very challenging job as the generation of solid waste was a continuous process. He said that new system of the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board had started yielding positive results. Ghani added that around 700 tonnes of garbage was generated in Jamshed Town zone on daily basis and the Board through its Chinese contractor, Changyi Kangjie had deployed staff and machinery for lifting of the garbage. He further said that manual sweeping of the main road and streets was being carried out on daily-basis regularly, while sweeping on lanes was carried out on alternate days.
To another question asked by Jatoi, the Minister said that temporary permission was accorded to M/s Arabian Nights in Clifton for keeping electric generator and night sitting on the municipal land in the limits of District Municipal Corporation (South) for five years in July last year. However, he said, the permission had been cancelled by the DMC South municipal commissioner and the site in question was clear from all types of encroachments.
Replying another query, the minister said that proposed building plan of the US Consulate on plots No 3, 4 and 5, New TPX Area, at Mai Kolachi Road was approved by the then Karachi Building Control Authority on April 24, 2008.
To a supplementary question, he said that he did not have details regarding the extended boundary walls around the consulate and said that permission to the foreign missions for erecting extended boundary walls were given for the security reasons.
WATER SHORTFALL - To a question, the minister said that around 500 to 550 million gallons was being supplied in the city daily against its need of over 1000 MGD. He said as many as 156 pumping station were working under the administrative control of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board. Ghani also said that more pumping station would be established in the city if needed, adding that the present number of the pumping station was, however, sufficient.
SLGA - To yet another question, Ghani said current local bodies act—the Sindh Local Government Act, 2013— was not similar to the Sindh Local Government Ordinance, 1979 that was promulgated under the Martial Law of General Ziaul Haq. Grand Democratic Alliance’s Arif Mustafa Jatoi had asked if the SLGO of martial law regime and the current SLGA were the similar laws.
The minister said that the country was being run under Martial Law regime in 1979 and the SLGO dated July 25, 1979 was promulgated by the then Sindh Governor Lt-Gen S. M. Abbasi.
OTHER BUSINESS - The house also accepted an adjournment motion moved by Heer Soho of the PPP regarding downfall of value of Pakistani rupee in Asia. The discussion was fixed for two hours on Monday.
The Deputy Speaker also announced that Governor Sindh deemed to have given assented to The Sindh (Repeal of the Police Act, 1861 and Revival of Police Order 2002) (Amendment) Bill, 2019.
Meanwhile, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Mukesh Kumar Chawla laid before the Assembly the budget execution report 03rdquarter, 2018-19 ended on 31st march, 2019. Later, the house was adjourned till Tuesday at 2pm.