KARACHI - Sindh Minister for Minorities Affairs Hari Ram Kishori Lal ordered to initiate survey across the province to ascertain correct figure of religious places of minorities within a month.
Presiding over a meeting to review minorities affairs on Thursday, Hari Ram directed a kind of mechanism should also be evolved for the registration of temples, churches, gurdwaras, agiarys (Parsi worship places) and Ahmedis worship places with minorities affairs department.
The minister was of the view evacuee trust was a provincial subject under 18th amendment, but despite the passage of 8 years, handing over of evacuee trust property to provinces was not completed. He hoped that new federal government would show seriousness in this regard and complete the devolution plan in true spirit. Hari Ram said that legislation will be made for establishment of Sindh Evacuee Trust Board soon. He said that he wanted to improve the performance of department and fully functionalize all the regional directorate and Public Grievances Redressal Desks working at divisional levels across the province to safe guard and promotion of the minorities rights.
He said that he had received complaints of closure of regional offices and public grievances desks and officers and lower staffs were drawing salaries. “I will not tolerate this, I am giving you all 15 days to functionalize all arms of minorities affairs department, “minister warned.
He directed the regional heads of department to ensure it and he himself would pay surprise visits. He also ordered to review the policy for awarding scholarships to students and remove all complication and process be made simple so that only bright and deserving student could be benefited adding that under present policy it has been observed that student belonging to well do families also availed scholarships opportunity .
He said that transparency should also be brought in awarding marriage grants and ensure that these grants reached to deserving. He directed to organize collective marriage ceremonies of 25 or 50 couples at regional level in addition to granting funds to individual cases under marriage grants.
On the occasion, secretary minority affairs Tameezuddin Khero gave detailed briefing on budget, development schemes and issues of department. Deputy directors, assistant directors of regional offices of Karachi, Hyderabad , Mirpurkhas, Larkana, Sukkur attended the meeting.
