Sindh Cabinet curbs police powers of making unnecessary arrests

A draft law also approved prohibiting violence at hospitals; under the proposed law no person/ heirs of a patient would be allowed to torture, harass or manhandle a medical officer or hospital staff members on the pretext of providing wrong treatment or negligence to the patient.

4 KMC hospitals handed over to Sindh Health Department; more hospitals to be taken over

Karachi: Sindh cabinet on Saturday approved a recommendation to amend the Police Rules 1934 stopping the police officers from arresting any person merely on account of registration of First Information Report (FIR).

The amendment provides for police officers to collect credible evidence of involvement of the accused in that crime and seek approval from the senior police officer beforehand.

The provincial cabinet, which met with Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in the chair, gave approval to the recommendations made IG Police to amend the Rule 26 of Police Rules 1934.

This amendment would stop police from making unnecessary arrests of people, an official handout said.

Moreover, the provincial cabinet in order to provide protection to and prohibit violence against healthcare service providers and to prevent damage or loss to property in healthcare service facilities passed a bill `Sindh Healthcare Service Providers and Facilities (Prevention of Violence and Damage of Property) Bill 2021.

Onward no person/ heirs of a patient would be allowed to torture, harass or mishandle a medical officer or relevant hospital staff members under the pretext of providing wrong treatment or negligence in respect their patient.

Further, the provincial cabinet on the request of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) approved a proposal to take over four healthcare facilities of KMC namely Gizri Maternity Hospital, Sobhraj Maternity Hospital, Gazdarabad General Hospital, District South and Landhi Medical Complex District Korangi along with their staff and handed over to Sindh health department for their efficient operation.

The KMC spends around Rs.800 million on the operation of these health facilities but due to financial issues it could not operate them properly. The KMC even could not pay salaries to the employees in time, therefore with the consent of KMC the cabinet approved to hand over these health facilities to the health department to operate them at their full capacity.

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that the provincial government would not take Rs.800 million from KMC for running its hospitals but his government would give additional Rs.603.158 million to the health department to operate the KMC hospitals to provide best health facilities to the people of the area.

The cabinet also directed the local government department to select more local bodies’ health facilities particularly of district councils and such others so that they could be given to the health department for their proper operation.

The Agriculture department told the cabinet that the cotton fee has been increased from Rs.10 to Rs.20 per 100 kg right from 2019. It was pointed out that the Punjab government was charging a cotton fee at Rs.10 per 100 kg. The cabinet after detailed discussion reduced the cotton fee from Rs.20 to Rs.10 per 100 kg. Excise & taxation department collects cotton fees.

The Excise & Taxation department gave a detailed briefing about the security featured Petro-reflective number plates for all kinds of vehicles to be manufactured by National Radio & Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC).

The cabinet, after thorough discussion and deliberation approved a proposal of the Excise department to negotiate with NRTC for procurement of security featured Retro-reflective number plates for all types of vehicles, including two-wheelers, three-wheelers and four-wheelers.

The chief minister directed the Excise department to expedite the matter so that security number plates could be issued to the vehicles in the province.

The cabinet was told that the NDMA has requested the provincial government to exempt the Storm Water Drain project from Sindh Sales Tax. The SRB had worked out that the exemption, if approved, would be around Rs.1.2 billion. The cabinet opposed the exemption request on the pretext that it would set a new trend. Therefore, the chief minister proposed that the project was being executed in the city therefore the Sindh government should pay the SST amount on behalf of the NDMA. The cabinet approved the proposal.

The cabinet after thorough discussions approved allotment of 10-acres of land to Masjid-e-Rizwan Trust for graveyard purpose at a rate of Rs.100000 per acre at Deh Moach, taluka Mauripur, District Kiamari. The chief minister directed the local government department to work out a plan to establish an authority to allot land to graveyards and regulate them.

The cabinet on the request of the Chinese Consulate approved a proposal to hand over them a vacant plot of The Institute of Pakistan Tourism & Hotel Management, Sindh Culture department, located adjacent to the Consulate. In exchange for the plot the Chinese Consulate has offered to give them a 2000 square yard plot to the Culture department. The cabinet approved the proposal.

The local government department told the cabinet that the Karachi District Council has recommended to de-notify their three union councils- UC Mowach, UC Gabopat and UC Lal Bakhar and declare them as union committees and make them part of newly created DMC Kiamari. The cabinet approved the proposal.

On the recommendation of Universities & Board the cabinet approved a proposal to allow chairmen Board of Intermediate & Secondary Education (BISE), Hyderabad, Sukkur and Mirpurkhas to continue as chairman of their respective board till the regular appointment of the chairmen through search committee which was under process.

A similar decision was taken by the cabinet to allow Dr. Faizullah Abbasi, vice Chancellor Dawood University of Engineering & Technology, Karachi to continue as vice chancellor till the appointment of a regular vice chancellor. (PR)

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