Cabinet also approved the head-money for murderers, kidnappers, dacoits and those involved in police encounter
Karachi, Sindh
The Sindh Cabinet approved Rs.1.567 billion for the installation of automatic number plate recognition cameras (ANPR) at Toll Plazas and also approved head money for the criminals at the rate of Rs.500000 each per murder case and kidnapping for ransom, and Rs.200000 each for dacoity and police encounter and Rs.10 million maximum amount.
The cabinet meeting was held under the chairmanship of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah at CM House on Thursday and was attended by provincial ministers, advisors, special assistants, Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, Chairman P&D Hassan Naqvi, and other concerned officers.
CCTV cams at Toll Plaza: The Home Department told the cabinet that the government has decided to install automatic number plate recognition cameras (ANPR) at all the entry and exit points of Toll Plaza all over Sindh.
The project ANPR cameras system envisages the installation of smart surveillance cameras at all entry and exit points of Toll Plazas in Sindh. The cameras will capture images of the registration number plates of vehicles and front seat passengers. The images captured will be transmitted to the central monitoring control room at Central Police Office in real-time. The cameras will read characters on number plates to identify vehicles and Face Recognition features will identify the passengers.
The cabinet was told that the project would assist to prevent and detect crime by identifying vehicles linked to criminal/illegal activities (stolen/ hit-run accidents). It would also detect and prevent terrorist activities by providing early warning of suspicious vehicles entering the city.
The project would also have the capacity to identify suspects associated with a particular vehicle by using facial recognition features of the technology and tracking their movement.
The chief minister said that the scheme for the installation of the CCTVs at Toll Plazas would cost Rs1.567 billion. “I am ready to arrange funds if the cabinet approved the project,” he said.
Shah said that the Sindh Police believed due to the sensitive nature of the project, it may be executed on a Government to Government (G-2-G) basis through M/S NRTC in order to maintain the integrity and security of the system.
The cabinet approved the project, and the chief minister directed the chief secretary to immediately hire the consultant and within a month award the contract.
Fixation of Reward/Head money: Home Secretary Saeed Mangnejo told the cabinet that a committee headed by a DIG Police rank officer consolidated proposals for awards based on the nature of crimes, and the number of FIRs against offenders. He added that the IG Police reviewed the project and endorsed it and sent it to the home department.
The cabinet was told that once the criminal was arrested or killed, the police department moved note for the claim of the announced reward, and the approved amount is released for disbursement.
The home secretary said that recently it was identified that while the reward was mentioned in the policy, there was, however, no cap placed on the maximum amount. He mentioned such was noticed during the recommendations of IG Police for fixation of head/ reward money forwarded by the IG Police which lacked rationalization of the proposed amount vis-a-vis severity of crime and number of FIRs under Cr. P.C.
Giving an example, the Home Secretary said that a criminal of District Ghotki involved in one murder and one kidnapping case was recommended for head/reward money of Rs.20 million while another criminal of District Shikarpur involved in 29 murder cases was proposed for Rs.10 million reward money.
Taking cognizance of the severity of committed offenses/ heinous crimes, such as murder, kidnapping for ransom, and Police encounters, etc., and in due consideration of the principles of fairness and justice and in due regard of austerity in spending the public money, the Chief Minister, has proposed to place a cap on cash reward for cases where head money for heinous criminals has to be paid. This proposal will cover the lacunae in the available policy.
The Home department proposed Rs.500000 each per murder case and kidnapping for ransom, and Rs.200000 each for dacoity and police encounter. The department also proposed an Rs.10 million maximum proposed amount which the cabinet approved after discussion.
Carbon market participation: Minister Forest department Taimur Talpur told the cabinet that his department [Forest] was implementing two mangrove projects – Delta Blue Carbon-I (DBC-I) and Delta Blue Carbon-II (DBC-II) in the Indus Delta. He added that under DBC-I about 3.1 MtCO2e have been sequestered and traded with the help of partners whereas, planting operations under DBC-II were approved in 2019 by the t Cabinet and have commenced from the year 2023.
Talpur said that in both the projects there was a capacity of carbon sequestration of about 3 MTCO2e annually with revenue generation potential of $10-15 million annually, besides secure investment for Afforestation, Reforestation, and Protection of about 350,000 hectares.
The Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC), the fed government, in the year 2021 announced the Revised Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) pledging that 15 percent of the carbon credits generated in the country would be a voluntary contribution towards NDCs. In all about 240 MTCO2e annually constitute about 15 percent.
Taimur Talpur said that the Sindh government did not agree to this claim and objected through the letters, wherein, it was requested that the DBC-I and DBC-II project be implemented prior to the commitments made under NDCs, as the corresponding adjustments which were less them one percent of the pledged 240 MTCO2e from these projects thus, these may be exempted from contribution towards NDCs.
On the proposal of Minister Forest Taimur Talpur the cabinet decided to approach the MoCC-Federal government to exempt the carbon credits generated by both DBC-I and DBC-II projects from corresponding adjustments towards NDC till lifetime or at least till the year 2043 to fulfill the legal obligations.
Mid-year review of ADP 2022-23: Chairman P&D Hassan Naqvi told the cabinet that the P&D conducted a Mid-Year Review (MYR) of the development portfolio to assess the progress of development schemes of ADP 2022-23 having its size of Rs.459.658 billion, including Rs.332.165 billion Provincial, Rs.30.000 billion District, Rs.91.468 billion Foreign Project Assistance and Rs.6.025 billion Federal Grant.
Based on a review of ADP, the P&D has finalized a consolidated MYR Report as follows:
- Due to Floods in Sindh in July-August, 2022, many ongoing schemes were severely affected, therefore, Rs. 87 billion from Provincial ADP was diverted for relief & rehabilitation of flood-damaged infrastructure works. Thus the size of the Annual Development Program (ADP) was revised from Rs.332.165 billion to Rs.267.652 billion as of 31 March 2023 (The same was at Rs.253.041 billion by 31.12.2022)
- Rs.135.129 billion (50 percent of revised allocation) has been released against the revised allocated amount of Rs.267.652 billion (Provincial) for the execution of schemes as of 31.12.2022. However, by the end of March 2023 Rs.169.539 billion are released which is 63 percent of the revised allocation.
- Rs.61.020 billion (45 percent of releases) (Provincial) has been utilized as of 31 Dec, 2022.
Chairman P&D told the cabinet that out of 1515 likely to be completed (LTBC) schemes, only 796 schemes are estimated to be completed despite full allocation. (PR)
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