KARACHI - Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said while presiding over the cabinet meeting that the federal government during nine-and-a-half-month of the current financial year transferred Rs406 billion against a share of Rs526 billion thereby making a shortfall of Rs119 billion. He said that it had badly affected the development endeavours of the provincial government.
The cabinet meeting was held at the 7th floor of New Sindh Secretariat. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Syed Mumtaz Shah, the provincial ministers, advisors and officers concerned.
On the agenda of the cabinet, there were 14 items including confirmation of the minutes of the last cabinet meeting. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah told the cabinet members that the revenue transfers from the federal divisible pool, straight transfers and grants constituted 78 percent of gross provincial revenues.
He said during the current financial year, the federal government had to transfer Rs526 billion against which it had released 406 billion. The shortfall of Rs119 billion has affected the ADP of the provincial government. “I am an optimistic person and hope that the federal revenue transfers would improve in the coming months; otherwise, we will not be able to meet the expenditures of salaries of the provincial government.”
Compensation cases
The Sindh cabinet discussed and approved three compensation cases for the heirs of killed policeman Farooq, three labourers killed in Larkana and for the affected people of Thar coalfield and Gorano Project/Dam. The chief minister told the cabinet that police constable Farooq who died in the attack on Mufti Taqi Usmani on March 22, 2019 had seven children, including three visually impaired. He was also the bread earner of his widow sister’s family. He added that after his official duty he used to mend puncture at a bicycle puncture shop.
“I personally visited his family and shocked to see the plight of the family,” Mr Shah said and added he had conducted medical check-up of his three blind children to restore their eye sight but doctors have advises contrary. He said that he was enrolling his blind children in a school of special children and would bring them in the main stream.
The chief minister said that he has recommended a grant of Rs10 million, two jobs and one plot for the family of Shaheed PC Farooq. “I am also recommending an additional grant of Rs10 million as compensation in favour of legal heirs of PC Farooq so that they could lead a respectable life. The cabinet approved the compensation.
The cabinet was told that three labourers, Waheed Gul, 60, Raees Khan 41, and Arbab Gul, 36 were killed in indiscriminate firing at Naudero, District Larakana on February 13, 2019. Their bodies were shifted to District Bajore. The chief minister recommended Rs1500,000 compensation for legal heirs of the killed labourers at the rate of Rs500,000 for each which was approved by the cabinet.
The cabinet also approved Rs77.5 million compensations at the rate of Rs100,000 for a family per annum for 471 affected families of Thar Coalfield Block-II and 757 families of Gorano project. The government has allocated Rs900 million and the remaining amount of Rs822.5 million would be released as next instalment.
Time Scale
The cabinet took up the cases of time scale on the demand of All Pakistan Clerk Association (APCA) and upgradation of computer operators, data entry operators and data processing operators.
The APCA demand said that cashiers, accounts clerks, shop assistant, cataloguers, record keepers, store keepers, junior clerks, senior clerks, assistants, superintendents and category-II accounts officers, assistant accounts officers may be awarded higher grade on completion of five years of service and then 10 years and 15 years and then 20 years. The cabinet approved the upgradation of these isolated positions and had no opening for promotion and upgradation. Similarly, the upgradation of computer operators, data processing operators and data entry operators was requested to the cabinet.
The cabinet also referred the matter of Time Scale to lower staff of grade-1 to grade-4 of school education department. The cabinet also referred the matter to cabinet committee for further action.
The cabinet committee would examine all the upgradation and Time Scale cases and would give their recommendation within a month for consideration in the cabinet. The cabinet members discussed the matter in details and said that the up-gradation or time scale may be made in the light of higher qualification, performance and experience. Therefore, a cabinet committee was constituted under Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho, Minister Education Sardar Shah, Minister IT Taimore Talpur Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, Secretary Services, secretary finance and any other member to be co-opted.
Sugarcane price: On the request of the agriculture department, the Sindh cabinet approved minimum purchase price of sugarcane for crushing season 2018-19 at Rs182 per 40 kg. The sugarcane season would star from November.
Delegation of powers
The energy department presented a case in the cabinet and said it had seven attached departments. They are Directorate of Electric Power, Directorate of Oil & Gas, Directorate of Alternative Energy, Sindh Coal Authority, Directorate of Coal Mines, Directorate of Coal Energy development and Inspectorate of Mines.
It was pointed out that these attached departments had no financial power or powers of appropriation or re-appropriation, therefore their financial matters are referred to the secretary Energy. The cabinet approved delegation of Category-I officers powers to all the seven attached departments of the energy department.
Amendment in Advisors Act
Sindh Cabinet approved amendment in Sindh Advisors (Appointments, Powers, Functions, Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) Act, 2003 under which the chief minister would appoint advisors as provided under clause (II) of Article 130 of the constitution. The cabinet referred the matter to the provincial assembly.
Explosive Act
The cabinet also approved enactment of `The Sindh Explosive Act, 2019’ in which punishment for casing explosion likely to endanger life or property, punishment for attempt to cause explosion, or for making or keeping explosive with intent to endanger life or property, punishment for making or possessing explosives under suspicious circumstances, powers to make rules as to licensing of the manufacture, possession, use, sale, transport, import and export or explosives etc have been defined. The bill was referred to the assembly and the home secretary was directed by the cabinet to frame the rules.
Delegation of powers
The cabinet on the recommendation of the home department delegated the powers of granting B-Class to convict prisoners under Rule 245 of Pakistan Prisoners Rules 1978 to home secretary. Earlier these powers were with the chief minister.
The chief minister with the approval of the cabinet also delegated the powers of granting temporary parole to convicted prisoners to attend marriage ceremony of blood relatives under Rule 223-A of Pakistan Prison Rules 1987. These powers were also with the chief minister.
Sindh govt allots land: The Sindh cabinet approved to transfer some pieces of land acquired for Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) for coal mining, construction of electricity power plant and allied facilities for the same purpose.
Since the Sindh government owns 54 percent shares in SECMC, therefore the land acquired by SECMC was required to be approved by the cabinet to transfer it for mining purpose.
Additional Items
Sindh cabinet with the permission of the Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah took up the matter of graveyards for Muslims and non-Muslims in Karachi and in district headquarters. The chief minister constituted a cabinet committee comprising Minister Revenue Makhdoom Mahboob, Excise Minister Mukesh Chawla, Minister Local Government Saeed Ghani and divisional commissioners as coopted members to identify lands in Karachi and other district headquarters of the province and recommended the government/cabinet for allotment. The committee within a month would give its report.
On the request of Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani, the cabinet approved a proposal to identify ways and means to accommodate the shopkeepers whose shops have been bulldozed under the anti-encroachment drive. The chief minister directed Saeed Ghani to work out a proposal for allotment of shops/open space or parking plaza, Saddr for allotment to the affected shopkeepers of Saddr and other areas who lost their shops/small establishments under the anti-encroachment actions.
Mr Saeed Ghani would give his proposal in the next cabinet meeting.
Just after the cabinet meeting Chief Minister’s Advisor Murtaza Wahab briefed the media about the decisions of the cabinet.
