KARACHI, Feb 2: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah announced on Monday that water charges, land revenue and all other taxes would be waived to provide relief to growers in view of the damage caused by recent rains to the bumper rice crop in Sindh.
Putting off the recovery of loans from growers, he said that if the Pakistan Agriculture Supplies and Storage Corporation (Passco) refused to purchase 500,000 tons of rice, the government would purchase all the stock, including the affected rice, from the growers at the fixed price.
The chief minister made this announcement on the floor of the house in the Sindh Assembly in response to the point of order raised by PPP MPA Munawwar Ali Abbasi, who had drawn the attention of the house towards the heavy losses suffered by growers due to the rains.
The assembly, which started its post-winter session on Monday with Speaker Nisar Ahmad Khuhro in the chair, during its two-hour-and-15-minute sitting completed the order of the day apart from three items, which were deferred to next Monday through a motion adopted unanimously by the house.
These items pertain to the election of committees on rules of procedure and privileges and on government assurances, nomination of a woman member on the Pakistan Nursing Council and four members on the board of governors of the Sindh Coal Authority.
Besides, the privilege motion of Syed Javed Hussain Shah against the DIG Sukkur was also deferred due to the mover’s absence from the house.
Referring to growers’ demands, the chief minister said due to the casting of “the evil eye”, Sindh’s bumper rice crop was damaged and the growers were not getting the support price. He said there was a demand of Irri-6 rice not only in the country but also abroad and it was decided that the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) and Passco would initially purchase 500,000 tons of paddy.
He assured the house that if Passco and the TCP did not pick up the paddy, the Sindh government would procure it.
The chief minister recalled that when Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani visited Sindh, he gave an assurance that the federal government would purchase between 500,000 to one million tons of rice and had agreed to increase the procurement centres from 70 to 150 and even to 300.
Mr Abbasi, taking advantage of the CM’s presence, drew the latter’s attention towards the damage caused to the bumper rice crop by the rains in August, in which 50 per cent of paddy was damaged.
He said the government had fixed the support price as Rs700 per 40kg but after the damage, growers were paid even less than Rs400 and Rs450 per 40 kg for slightly damaged paddy, while more damaged paddy was available for no more than Rs300 to Rs350 per 40 kg.
He suggested that the government review the criteria for procurement of rice by accepting 15 to 20 per cent damaged paddy while Passco was not prepared to accept more than four per cent damaged paddy.
He suggested that the house adopt a resolution requesting the federal government to review its policy for purchasing the damaged paddy as there were countries in Africa where the worst damaged rice was being consumed.
He also requested that the province be declared a national calamity-hit area.
Destruction of Goths
Nadeem Bhutto, through his point of order, drew the attention of the house towards the demolition notices served on residents of three old Goths – including Mowach Goth and Madhu Goth – by the city district government of Karachi and warned that if any action was taken against them under an anti-encroachment operation, it would create a law and order problem.
The NPP’s Masroor Khan Jatoi endorsed Mr Bhutto’s stand.
Revenue Minister Saifullah Dharejo said that there were five or six old goths which were recommended for regularisation but could not get a lease so far. He said the Sindh government had written a letter to the CDGK, asking it not to initiate any action in pursuance of its notices, but in future, before serving any notice for demolition, prior permission should be taken from the revenue department.
Local Government Minister Agha Siraj Durrani assured the house that he would take up the matter with the city nazim and no goth would be demolished.
Minister Syed Sardar Ahmed of the MQM said that it was not part of policy to remove registered or un-registered old goths. He said the CDGK would be asked that if any goth had been given a stay order by the revenue department, the city government should wait until a decision was taken.
Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Jam Madad Ali raised the issue of handicapped persons sitting outside the Press Club to protest against the stopping of their grant. He said assistance should be provided to them from the Benazir Bhutto Income Support Programme.
Katchi Abadis Minister Rafique Engineer said that he, along with Mr Khuhro, had also visited the handicapped persons and advised them to apply for financial assistance through their female family members as the programme was meant for women only.
Minister for Bureau of Supplies Shoaib Bokhari – through his point of order – drew the attention of the house towards a missing fishing boat, which had left for sea with 11 fishermen on Jan 12. He suggested that the Sindh government seek the cooperation of the marine department and the Pakistan navy to find out the fate of the fishermen.
Fisheries Minister Zahid Bhurgari said the Sindh government was in touch with the federal government and had sought help in the matter.
The PML-F’s Marvi Rashdi referred to the fire incident which occurred last month in a cluster of huts in North Karachi, in which 40 persons were killed. She demanded an impartial inquiry into the cause of the fire.
Mr Engineer said the government had already entrusted the inquiry to DIG Abdul Majeed Dasti.
PPP member Humera Alwani, referring to the case of Maria Shah, raised the issue of the non-existence of burns wards in the province’s civil hospitals apart from Karachi and stressed the need for setting up such wards in all civil hospitals.
Pillion riding
A Muttahida Qaumi Movement MPA drew the attention of the house to the ban on pillion riding, which had been extended till Feb 20. He said that in Karachi, from three to four million poor people were facing hardships due to the ban. He requested that the ban period should not be extended beyond Feb 20.
The PML-F’s Nusrat Abbasi said that in Khairpur, residents of Madina Colony in UC Luqman – which was regularised during the government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto – were now being threatened as people from the revenue department had put up a board to build a housing society on the said plot.
Works and Services Minister Manzoor Wasan assured the house that he would look into the complaint and if anyone was involved, action would be initiated against such officials. He said he would inform the house on Tuesday in this regard.
Shama Mithani raised the issue of increasing prices of life-saving drugs and suggested the formation of a house committee to look into the matter.
Information Minister Shazia Marri suggested to the speaker to include a minister in the panel of chairman as the rules were silent about their appointment.
Mr Khuhro said that a committee was already working for improving the Rules of Procedure and to bring them on a par with the rules of other assemblies.
Fateha was offered at the start of the session, after which the panel of chairmen was nominated by the speaker comprising Dr Sikander Mandhro, Ghulam Majid Isran, Bilquis Mukhtar and Masroor Khan Jatoi.
The house adjourned proceedings for the day at 1.55 pm to resume business on Tuesday, which will be a private members’ day.
Dear visitor, the comments section is undergoing an overhaul and will return soon.