In a cabinet meeting led by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, significant decisions were made to address various infrastructure and development needs in the region. The Chief Minister approved a substantial budget, including Rs10 billion for the resettlement of residents affected by the three Nullahs in Karachi, Rs12.72 billion for the construction of the Hub Canal, and Rs200 million for overhauling the Jamila Pumping Station. A notable development is the establishment of the Sindh Electric Power Regulatory Authority (SEPRA), authorized under the Sindh Regulation of Electric Power Services Act (SREPS) 2023. SEPRA will be a corporate body with a chairman and three members focusing on technical, legal, and financial aspects.
The Chief Minister approved an initial budget of Rs197.916 million for SEPRA for the fiscal year 2024-25 and directed Energy Minister Nasir Shah to oversee the appointment of the authority’s chairman and members. Additionally, the cabinet approved land allotments for critical infrastructure projects. Pakistan Railways has been allocated 1,381.34 acres in Mirpurkhas and Karachi Divisions to construct a 105 km railway line from the Thar Coal Field to Chhor and a 9 km line from Bin Qasim to Port Qasim. This railway line will facilitate the transportation of coal from Thar to power projects across the country, enhancing the efficiency of coal-fired power generation.
The Sindh government and Pakistan Railways are collaborating on this venture to streamline coal transportation, contributing to the development of power infrastructure and economic growth in the region. The CM directed Minister Energy Nasir Shah to coordinate with Pakistan Railways so that work on the project could be started at the earliest. The Sindh Cabinet allotted 40 acres of land at Tapa Landhi, District Korangi for establishment of Sindh Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (SICVD). The cabinet was told that the Energy Department was executing the `Sindh Solar Energy Project (SSEP)’ with the financial and technical support of the World Bank. Under the project, three Solar Power Parks having a capacity of 320 MW are being established in three districts.
The Sindh cabinet has approved the allotment of 1462 acres of land, including 250 Acres for a 50 MW Solar Park at Manjhand, DisttJamshoro. 612 Acres for a 120 MW Solar Park in DehHalkani / Murad Band, Distt West Karachi 600 acres for a 150 MW Solar Park in DehMithaGhar, DisttMalir. The land allotment orders were accordingly issued by the LU Department. To sign the Land Lease agreement between the Energy Department and Land Utilization Department, the Board of Revenue, issued the e-stamp duty of all three sites amounting to Rs. 1.362 billion for all three sites. The Energy dept requested the cabinet for exemption of the duty.
The CM refused to exempt it saying that every department and even person must pay taxes. The CM said that through the Information Science & Technology Dept under a new initiative of the Peoples Information Technology Program (PITP) aimed at enhancing the IT skills of students and professionals across the province and focusing on poverty reduction strategy in Sindh. “This program will provide practical skills and industry-recognized certifications to stand out in a competitive job market,” Murad Shah said.
PITP would be initiated in Tharparpar by NED University, Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas division (except Thar) by Mehran University and in ShaheedBenazirabad, Sukkur and Larkana divisions through IBA University, Sukkur. Initially, 10,000 youth will be scaled up with a certification of JAVA Developer, Python Developer, Database Administrator, Graphic Designer, E-Commerce Professional, Digital Marketing Professional, Web Developer, Mobile Application Developer, and Data Scientists.
The cabinet approved the initiative and urged the universities to start the PITP immediately. The cabinet decided to remove the Sindh Revenue Board (SRB) from CM Secretariat and attach it to the Finance Department as practised in the other provinces. Resettlement of affectees of Nullahs: The local Govt Minister SaeedGhani told the cabinet that there were 6932 affectees of GujjarNullah, MahmoodabadNullah, and OrangiNulla who needed to be resettled.
The Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) has submitted its proposals. The PEC evaluated the per-house cost at Rs. 1,450,000. In addition to this, the PEC also advised providing funds for construction to the affectees as per the schedule. Rs. 500,000 on completion of masonry work up to the roof level. Rs. 450,000 on completion of the grey structure for finishing work.
