Staff Reporter
Adviser to Sindh Chief Minister on Information & Archives, Law and Anti-Corruption Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Saturday told that Sindh Chief Minister and cabinet members strongly condemned the brutality and the use of cluster bombs by the Indian government in Kashmir. He said that the cabinet appealed to the United Nations and Human Rights Organizations around the world to take notice of the use of brutal violence by the Indian Government in Kashmir. The cabinet asked the federal government to summon Indian High Commissioner to express their resentment over the incident.
He said that in future the Ombudsman Sindh would be appointed by the Sindh Chief Minister. Barrister Murataza said that the Sindh cabinet in its meeting approved amendment in in this regard. Previously it was the prerogative of Governor Sindh, he added. The Adviser said that in Punjab as well as in KPK the Chief Minister had the authority to appoint the Ombudsman. The Adviser said this while briefing the media at the conclusion of the cabinet meeting on Saturday. Minister for Local Government Saeed Ghani also accompanied the Adviser during the briefing.
He told that the Sindh cabinet had also accepted the resignation of prosecutor general Sindh. Advocate Dr. Fayaz Shah would be the new prosecutor general of Sindh. The Adviser said that the cabinet after the approval of Sindh Chief Minister had abolished three per cent sales tax on print media. The Chief Minister also directed the Sindh Revenue Board to immediately issue notification in this regard, he told. He said that Sindh government was very well aware of the issued being faced by the print media and it would do its utmost to resolve all that.
The Adviser told that the Sindh cabinet strongly disapproved the performance of K-Electric during recent rains in Karachi. Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that Sindh government decided in its cabinet meeting that biometric verification of all the pensioners would be done in order to abolish the ghost pensioners. Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that so as to ensure the transparency Sindh Financial Rules had been amended. He said that Sindh cabinet had decided that to grant three billion rupees to Sindh Bank. Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that Sindh Bank needed the funds as all the accounts of its account holders had been frozen.
The Adviser said that the cabinet had also decided to change the Board of Governor of Sindh Bank. He said that Sindh government was determined to fix the predicaments the Bank was facing. He said that the cabinet also decided to merge Sindh Bank and Sindh Leasing Company. Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that the Sindh Cabinet discussed at length the MoUs singed between the federal government and the provincial government a propos the financial matters. The Adviser said that a surplus budget was only possible if the federal government transferred all the assured funds to the provincial government on time.
He said that the Federal government should pay the long due funds to the provincial government immediately. The federal government had to pay further 80 billion to the provincial government, he added. Barrister Murtaza Wahab told that the World Bank was disbursing a grant of ten billion rupees. The Adviser said that the cabinet had also decided to introduce e-procurement processing.
He said that gradually the manual system being practiced in the Finance Department would be chucked out. All the pensioners of Sindh government were online now, he added. Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that the cabinet also decided to make transparent the utilization of the development budget. While it also decided to further expand the excavation of Thar Coal Project Phase-II being carried out by Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company, he said.
The Adviser said that Thar Power subsidy would be awarded by the provincial government. He said that Sindh cabinet also approved the provision of free electricity to 2,700 families of Islamkot, who were utilizing 100 units per month, while 1800 other families would only have to pay for the units they consumed above 100 from the month of August, 2019.
