KARACHI: The Sindh Cabinet on Tuesday urged the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to remit to the provincial government Rs1.59 billion that it had deducted at source from the total recovery made through its Voluntary Return (VR) scheme during the past 11 years at the rate of 25 per cent.

A meeting of the Sindh cabinet presided over by Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah was told that NAB recovered the embezzled public money and retained 25pc of the amount for distribution to its officials as a reward for their service and for the well-being of the department.

The meeting was told that the Supreme Court and Balochistan High Court in 2016 and 2014 had shown concerns and issued directives for depositing recovered amounts under the VR schemes of NAB into relevant public accounts of the federal and provincial governments.

During the past 11 years — 2009-10 to 2020-21 — NAB recovered Rs6,382,287,659 in the head of VR from Sindh against which it gave Rs4,786,671,308 to the province and retained 25pc, or Rs1.59bn.

Cabinet rejects SRB proposal to levy 5pc sales tax on school fees

The Supreme Court had already passed a decision that NAB would deposit the recovered amount under the VR scheme in the relevant public accounts.

The cabinet after discussing the matter decided to request NAB to remit Rs1.59bn to the Sindh government.

Abattoir’s land taken back from KMC

The cabinet was apprised that 101 acres were provided to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) by the provincial government for establishment of an abattoir/slaughterhouse.

The KMC had established the city abattoir on the land at Cattle Colony, but the mechanical abattoir was not functional there.

The provincial government approved a scheme to establish a biogas plant for the Red Line bus rapid transit (BRT) scheme on the land where the slaughterhouse was established at Cattle Colony.

The cabinet decided to take back the slaughterhouse land for the establishment of a biogas plant.

However, the chief minister directed the KMC administrator to prepare a scheme for a slaughterhouse for which the provincial government would provide land.

The cabinet on the request of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) approved a levy of Re1 per litre on bottled water and beverage companies in line with the Punjab government.

The cabinet also amended some sections of the laws pertaining to the Sindh Revenue Board (SRB) for clarity.

The SRB presented an item under which five per cent Sindh Sales Tax on Services was proposed to be levied on school fees and private health institutions. However, the cabinet rejected the proposal.

Telemedicine bill okayed

The health department presented the Sindh Telehealth and Telemedicine Bill 2021 in the cabinet and the health minister said that the law would help through standard guidelines for practice of telemedicine.

The cabinet meeting was told that telemedicine had several benefits which increase interventions, including faster access to services. It can save costs and efforts especially for people of rural areas who are compelled to travel long distances for treatment.

According to the bill, a registered medical practitioner (RMP), or a healthcare service organisation, can provide telemedicine consultation. The RMP shall be entitled to practice telemedicine or telehealth after a prescribed course.

The cabinet approved the bill and referred it to the assembly.

The cabinet on the request of the health department approved a proposal of creation of the Sindh Integrated Emergency and Health Services (SIEHS) under which the Aman Ambulance Service Karachi and Sindh Peoples Ambulance Service would be operated.

The health department with the support of a donor agency is adding a fleet of 200 ambulances which would operate under the SIEHS.

The cabinet also approved Rs500 million as the set-up cost for the newly formed SIEHS.

The cabinet also approved Rules of the Sindh Allopathic System (Prevention of Unauthorised Use) Act 2014 to prevent misuse of the allopathic system of medicine.

It also approved the Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority regulations. The authority supervises all the aspects of safe blood transfusion by maintaining standard protocol and prescribed procedure by maintaining a register of license to blood banks, blood centres and other blood establishments.

Plan to enact provincial seed certification laws

The agriculture department told the cabinet that seed functions were dealt with by the Federal Seed Certification & Registration Department (FSC&RD), whose infrastructure and staff was insufficient to cover the entire province.

It suggested the cabinet allow enactment of provincial seed certification and registration law.

The chief minister constituted a committee comprising Syed Sardar Shah, Ismail Rahu, Manzoor Wassan and Murtaza Wahab to examine the Sindh Seed Corporation Act and suggest how to make it useful for ensuring availability of genuine companies and seed in the market.

On the request of the local government department, the cabinet approved a proposal to establish a fund to pay salaries to the employees of the Sindh Council Unified Grade (SCUG) awaiting posting there.

The cabinet also approved The Sindh Lawyers Welfare and Protection Bill 2021 to promote welfare of advocates practicing in Sindh. For this purpose a fund would be established for the welfare of the lawyers. The cabinet referred the bill to the assembly.

Body formed on deceased quota

The law department presented a proposal of eligibility criteria for recruitment under the deceased quota of legal heirs of government employees who had died during service.

“The deceased quota will be effective from September 2, 2002. The employee who died or invalidated prior to Sept 2, 2002 will not be covered for deceased quota recruitment,” said a proposal submitted to the cabinet.

In case the children are minor and widows are not willing to apply for deceased quota recruitment then the legal heir may be bound to inform the department concerned within two years of the death of the deceased employee that one of his/her children will apply within three months after attaining the age of 18 years, it added.

The cabinet approved the policy and the chief minister directed the finance department to work out a detailed scheme to continue the monthly package for the family of the deceased that should continue till the age of the retirement of the deceased.

The CM constituted a cabinet committee under provincial minister Imtiaz Shaikh to submit its proposal.

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2021