Sindh Courier Report

Karachi: Sindh chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that the federal government was supportive and helping to allow the K-Electric to collect two of the KMC taxes- fire and conservancy, through electricity bills.

“Some people who do not want to see the KMC reviving its financial strength are opposing it [the collection of KMC taxes through electricity bills] forgetting that the TV fee is already being collected through electricity bills.”

This he said while talking to the media at Mazar-e-Quaid which he visited to pay rich tribute to the Father of Nation, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, on the occasion of his death anniversary on Saturday.

To a question, Shah said that the KMC set a collection target of Fire Tax and Conservancy at Rs.1 billion every year but it could hardly collect Rs.250 million. “Therefore, it has worked out a plan to collect both the taxes by reducing their rate through electricity bills,” he said and added “the KMC was not introducing any new tax but these were the old tax being collected”.

The CM said the KMC under the improved tax collection plan has decided to collect it along with electricity bills so that collection targets could be achieved in the interest of the city and its people. “I am surprised that some people have come out to oppose it for nothing and forgetting that TV fee fees are already being collected through the power bills then why not the KMC taxes,” he questioned?

Shah disclosed that he has talked to the Federal Finance Minister Shaukat Tareen and Chairman NEPRA to allow the KMC to collect its taxes through electricity bills and they were very positive and assured their support and full cooperation.

To another question, the CM said that the provincial government would launch the Orange Line along with the federal government’s Green Line project. “We are bringing 250 buses in the city but due to some technical issues the project lingered on and now a government agency has offered to procure the buses and matter government to government procurement,” he said.

Replying to another question, Murad Ali Shah said that due to cleaning of storm water drains and improvement of drainage system the rainwater did not accumulate on the roads and streets as it has been in the past. He added that work on Malir Expressway, Red Line BRT and Blue BRT would start very soon.

The chief minister, to a question, said that his government was ready to provide medical treatment to legend actor Umer Sharif. “Our Culture department has already announced to provide medical treatment to Umer Sharif,” he said and added as far as his treatment in America was concerned- it was a federal government which would issue him visa and such other facilities.

Earlier, the chief minister laid a floral wreath on the Mazar of Quaid and offered fateha.

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Hyderabad: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has announced launching a month-long protest movement against the federal government holding rallies in all the districts of Sindh from September 5 to October 2.

PPP Sindh Chapter President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro announced this along with Senator Taj Haider and Senator Sassui Palijo in a press conference held at village Karan Khan Shoro at the residence of the Provincial Minister for Irrigation Jam Khan Shoro on Sunday.

Nisar Khuhro said that Federal Government changed the actual indexes and has been telling a fake success story of three years of its tenure but the ground realities are quite different.

He said that 70% of the country’s production is purely based on agriculture sector but at present due to incompetence of Federal Government the agriculture sector has been shaken because of severe water shortage due to IRSA policies, which is highly condemnable act.

“The Sindh province has not be given a constitutional share of water as per the water accord of 1991 and has been doing injustice with the province of Sindh by opening the Chashma-Jhelum and TP Link Canals in Punjab with the result that Sindh is facing severe shortage of water downstream Kotri Barrage and Guddu as well. He said IRSA has remained silent on the issue.

Demanding that the chairman IRSA should be from Sindh province, Khuhro said “We do not want to fight with any of province but we demand that IRSA must give our legitimate share of water”.

He demanded that the chairman of the IRSA should be removed and the representative of Sindh should be appointed as Chairman.

He said that it was another injustice done by the federal government to repeal the Act passed by the National Assembly and render jobless more than 16000 employees of Sindh from Federal departments like OGDCL, IB, FIA and KPT.

“This is a great injustice with the people of Sindh,” he remarked.

He further said that Federal Government also did injustice in population census and its details are also known to everyone. “When the matter was raised by province in the Council of Common Interest, they did not reckon our reservations”.

To a question Nisar Khuhro said there was no any misunderstanding between Makhdoom House and the PPP and there is no truth in these rumors. Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari would visit Makhdoom House very soon. “Makhdoom family is the asset of PPP”.

Also read: Sindh faces acute water shortage

To a question Senator Taj Hyder said that in Senate standing committee on water we also raised the water issue but the Chairman IRSA denied redressing our reservations. He said in 1991 accord, all the terms and condition were decided and the share of the water should be supplied as per accord.

He added that as it was decided in Accord, agricultural use of water is the top priority, then why CJ and TP canals are opened.

MNA Shugufta Jumani, Aajiz Dhamrah, Ali Nawaz Shah Rizvi and other PPP leaders were present on occasion.

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Sindh Courier

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Karachi: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah as per decision taken in the 42th meeting of Council of Common Interest (CCI) has approved taking over 4192 non formal schools along with 4425 volunteer teachers, being run by the federal government and decided to enhance the salaries of teachers from Rs.8000 to Rs.25000.

He accorded this approval while presiding over a meeting here at CM House on Thursday. The meeting was attended by Minister Education Saeed Ghani, Advisor Law Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Secretary School Education Ahmed Bux Narejo, Secretary IPC Asif Ikram, Special Secretary Finance Bilal Memon and others.

In the 42th session of CCI held on June 30, 2021 a decision was taken that the provincial governments would take over National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) and Basic Education Community School (BECS) from June 30, 2021.

Minister Education Saeed Ghani told the chief minister that there were total 4,192 centers/schools with 4,425 teachers and 236,755 enrolment, including 1,463 BECSD centers with 1,463 teachers and 61,118 enrolment and 2,729 NCHD centers, 2962 teachers and 175,637 students.

The chief minister was told that these schools/centers were being run under a non-formal education system where teachers were teaching on a voluntary basis against a remuneration of Rs.8000, per month.

The chief minister said that his government has already announced minimum wage at Rs.25000 per month, therefore these volunteer teachers would be paid Rs.25000 each per month.

The finance department told the chief minister that by enhancing the salaries of 4425 teachers from Rs.8000 to Rs.25000 per month would cause financial implication of Rs.1.327 billion.

Shah approved the amount and directed the department to move a summary for the purpose.

He also directed the education department to take over the schools immediately and make the schools functional with the same teaching staff. “After some time an opportunity may be provided to the teachers to appear in the test and those qualifying would be inducted as regular staff,” he said.

The chief minister also directed the education department to assess the requirement of these schools in terms of furniture, water, washrooms, electricity, and others and ensure their provision at the earliest. (PR)

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