Age relexation to differently-abled in govt jobs: Sindh Cabinet to launch low-cost housing scheme for shelterless

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah presiding over a Cabinet meeting Friday decided to provide shelter to shelterless people under a low-cost housing scheme and granted 15-year upper age limit relaxation to the differently-abled persons in government jobs and considered to regularize Katchi Abadis by extending the cut-off date. Murad directed the SKAA to revisit the Regularization Act and remove ambiguities, if any, and table the agenda item in the next Cabinet meeting.

The meeting was held here at CM House on Friday and was attended by all the ministers, advisors, special assistants, new Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, Chairman P&D Hassan Naqvi and concerned secretaries. At the outset of the meeting, the chief minister said that with an effective strategy of PPP leadership a new government has come into power in the federal capital.

“This is a new era of cooperation, joint working and prosperity of the country,” he said and directed his ministers to be more active in resolving the public problems. ADP: Chairman P&D Hassan Naqvi briefing the cabinet on Mid-year review (MYR) of ADP 2021-22 said that overall Rs. 77.875 billion were released, of them Rs. 43.777 billion were utilized. He added that 825 out of 1,034 schemes would be completed during the current financial year.

The meeting was told that 235 schemes have been reported as un-satisfactory by P&D. At this the chief minister directed the P&D dept not to release them funds and directed the concerned departments to examine their schemes declared as unsatisfactory and report him.” I’ll not tolerate substandard works,” the CM said.

Low Housing Scheme: Sindh Katchi Abadis Authority floated a proposal in the cabinet to launch low-housing scheme at various locations in the province for shelter less and needy people. The affected of people of anti-encroachment drives could also be shifted at low housing schemes.

The cabinet was told that the SKAA has already launched Sasti Basti schemes at different locations of the province. The cabinet approved the proposal and directed the Board of Revenue to identify lands all over Sindh for low housing schemes and simultaneously directed SKAA to prepare a plan for launching such schemes.

SKA Act: The cabinet was told that Sindh Katchi Abadis Authority (SKA) have inventorised 1448 unauthorized settlements existing partially or wholly on government land on or before 30 June 1987 for declaration as Katchi Abadis under the Act 1987. Whereas, a large number of unauthorized settlements have been established after the present cut-off date that is June 30, 1997 which could not be regularised under the present law.

In order to provide relief to dwellers of those Katchi Abadis spread all over Sindh, there is need to extend cut-off-date for regularization of Katchi Abadis in Sindh from 30 June 1997 to 31 December 2011, therefore the cabinet approved amendment in the Sindh Katchi Abadis Act 1987.Differently abled persons recruitment: A committee for appointment of all categories of differently abled persons was constituted which presented their recommendations.

The committee has recommended changes /relaxations as part of the Recruitment Rules for Persons with Disabilities keeping in mind the difficulties and hardships they are facing in the process of recruitment for implementation of 5 percent job quota: The recommendations are as follows: The upper age limit for Government jobs shall be relaxed by 15 years for candidates with disabilities. For Persons with Hearing Impairment, the next lower grading will be considered as academic qualification compared to candidates without disabilities and for persons with intellectual disability, two grades lower academic qualification will be considered i.e. for persons without disabilities qualification is Graduate then for same job Matric will be academic qualification for persons with intellectual disabilities Conditions of experience shall not be compulsory for persons with disabilities as they are already deprived of jobs. There will be grace marks for persons with disabilities in testing examinations (exemption of fees) applying for the job as persons with disabilities couldn’t compete with their fellows without disabilities as under:

•10 grace marks for persons with Visual and Physical Impairment

•15 Grace marks for persons with Hearing Impairment

•20 Grace marks for persons with Intellectual disabilities For the posts of Teacher for Deaf and Blind, on merit basis will be given to candidates with Blindness with improved skills in Braille and Computer, Candidates with Hearing-Loss with improved skills in Pakistan Sign Language.

Civil District: The provincial cabinet approved the constitution of Sujawal as `Civil District’ to fix the limits of the district and determine its headquarters. The cabinet amended different laws such as Stamp act, Sindh Gothabad Act and others for clarity.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022