KARACHI: The Sindh cabinet on Tuesday approved disbursement of a relief grant worth Rs4.021 billion among people affected by last year’s heavy monsoon rainfall through the mobile banking system.

Presiding over the cabinet meeting here, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that this would help the affected people to receive cash on showing their original computerized national identity cards (CNICs) to the mobile bank without going into the process of opening a bank account.

The cabinet was told that after analysing the pros and cons of various alternative modalities and mechanisms, the Board of Revenue (BoR), finance department and Social Protection Unit were in consonance that the disbursement of the relief grant might be made through mobile banking by inviting technical and financial proposals from various telecommunication companies/banks/consortia.

There are 103 injured persons and each one would get Rs25,000, the owners of fully damaged pukka house and fully damaged katcha houses would get Rs20,000 and Rs10,000, Rs10,000 for the loss of cattle and Rs2,000 for the loss of goat/sheep/donkey.

The cabinet approved the proposal and granted exemption to the BoR from rules concerned.

Anti-encroachment PS for Tharparkar

The BoR presented another proposal requesting the cabinet to approve establishment of an anti-encroachment police station for district Tharparkar.

The cabinet was told that after installation of power plants and establishment of coal mining the lands of Tharparkar had achieved highest value, as a result the issue of encroachments was cropping up day by day.

A committee is formed to review the recruitment policy for schoolteachers in 15 days

The cabinet was told that the BoR had 18 anti-encroachment police stations in as many districts and now they would establish the nineteenth police station in Tharparkar, if the proposal was approved.

The cabinet approved the establishment of the anti-encroachment police station in Tharparkar and also approved Rs6.5 million for purchase of motorcycles, one pick-up, furniture, computer and other office equipment.

Schoolteachers’ recruitment

The school education department presented a recruitment policy of teaching and non-teaching staff through a third party.

Some of the cabinet members raised the objection on different positions/categories of teachers. They were of the view that there should be only two categories ie primary and secondary. Since the government was offering “best” salary packages, therefore, best teachers, or highly qualified teachers, should be appointed by offering only two positions with specific education.

The chief minister with the approval of the cabinet constituted a committee comprising two former education ministers, Nisar Khuhro and Syed Sardar Shah, and sitting Education Minister Saeed Ghani to review the recruitment policy and submit their report within 15 days.

It may be noted that there were 30,000 positions of primary schoolteachers and 7,000 of secondary schoolteachers vacant in the school education department.

Amendments to Sessi Act

The Labour department presented amendments in two different sections of Sindh Employees Social Security Institution (Sessi) Act to create provision for issuance of Benazir Mazdoor Card to insure the workers and to allow self-employed workers to contribute in Sessi and get themselves registered to be eligible for all the benefits.

The cabinet approved the proposal of universalisation of social security in the province.

The agriculture department presented an agenda requesting the cabinet to allow the department to create its works unit to construct its building such as markets, etc, on its own.

The CM constituted a three-member committee comprising Mr Khuhro, Agriculture Minister Ismail Rahu and finance secretary to review the proposal and submit a report.

Body formed for Shaheed quota rules

The home department requested the cabinet to approve the incorporation of a Shaheed, Deceased and Ghazi quota in Police Rules called Sindh Police Family Claim Rules-2020.

The cabinet was told that the post of ASI was filled through the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC), while under the deceased quota it had to be filled directly. Therefore, a provision in the rules may be created so that the deceased, Shaheed and Ghazi quota request could be entertained.

The cabinet constituted a committee under Home Secretary Usman Chachar, services and law secretaries, and representative of police chief to review the rules and different judgements of the high court and Supreme Court and submit their recommendations in the next meeting.

The cabinet after a thorough discussion decided to transfer all the Darul Aman and Safe Houses from the social welfare department to the women development department.

The chief minister directed the chief secretary to review the functions of the women development department and social welfare department and if they were identical then both departments might be merged.

The chief minister also constituted a committee comprising Education Minister Saeed Ghani, Law Adviser Murtaza Wahab and Jails Adviser Aijaz Jakhrani to visit a convict, Junaid Rehman, in prison and submit their recommendations on human and legal grounds in the next cabinet meeting on a plea moved by his brother before high court for grant of education remission in favour of the convict.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2021