KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, presiding over a cabinet meeting, approved Rs 6.63 billion for the construction of six damaged roads, approved Rs 232.14 million for IBA Sukkur to reconduct MDCAT, approved the establishment of the Sindh Job Portal, directed the IT department to implement E-stamping within six months, and extended the contract period for teaching faculty members of Khairpur Medical College.
The meeting was held at CM House and attended by provincial ministers, advisors, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah and concerned secretaries.
At the outset, the cabinet approved the decisions of the cabinet subcommittee headed by Minister of Energy Nasir Shah. Under the decisions, Rs 81.9 million were approved for the payment of salaries and other liabilities of the employees of the defunct Larkana Development Authority who have already been sent to the surplus pool.
The cabinet approved Rs 68.043 million for the Jamshoro Electrification Programme, and Rs 4 million for the organisation of the Literary Conference at Frere Hall.
Repair of damaged roads: The CM approved Rs 6.63 billion to reconstruct eight roads damaged by the recent floods and heavy rains. He allowed procurement for these projects on an emergency basis.
These roads included 9/1 to 3 km Johi to Chhini Road, five km Johi, Wahi Pandhi to Golo Faqir, nine km Baid to Mian Naseer Mohammad Kalhoro Road (district Dadu), 27 km Chamber to Mirwah via Snjhar Chang, 17.6 km Tando Allahyar, Tando Adam-Shahdadpur road, Distt Sanghar, 51 km Jhirk Mulakatiar Road to Nooriabad via Jhimpir Fly overbridge, over three km Sujawal city Carriageway.
Sanghar Chotiyariyon Road to Chotiyarion Dam along with approaches road. The project cost is Rs 1.25 billion
MDCAT: The cabinet approved Rs 232.14 million for the re-conduct of the MDCAT by IBA Sukkur, which will take place within the next six weeks. The chief minister directed the Health Department to establish Vigilance Committees in collaboration with the PMDC. Additionally, he instructed the Secretary of the Universities and Boards (U&Bs) to ensure that examination boards announce results at least one month before the MDCAT in the future, as mandated by the court.
The chief minister said that, in accordance with the court order, the test will be based on the syllabus that has already been taught in the province. The validation from the previous year will not be considered for this year. He directed the Health Department to guarantee the smooth conduct of the revised MDCAT-24 with cooperation from Sukkur IBA University.
Job Portal: The cabinet approved the proposal from the Sindh Information Science and Technology Department, developed in collaboration with Sukkur IBA University, to establish the Sindh Job Portal (SJP). This centralised online platform is designed for provincial government job recruitment across Sindh, addressing inefficiencies in the current manual process. The SJP will provide a secure and user-friendly system for managing applications for positions ranging from grade 1 to 15.
The portal will feature automated application submissions, tracking capabilities, and real-time data analytics. It will also integrate seamlessly for applicants who have passed the Sindh Testing Service (STS) exams. Built on a scalable microservices architecture supported by AWS cloud technology, the SJP will include user-friendly interfaces, administrative tools, and robust security measures to protect user data.
Environmental Council: The provincial cabinet approved the establishment of the Sindh Environmental Protection Council under the Sindh Environmental Protection Act of 2014. The Council will consist of official and non-official members, totalling no more than 25, who will be appointed by the government for a term of three years. The chief minister will serve as the chairperson or appoint another individual in that role, while the Minister in charge of the Environment Protection Department will act as vice-chairperson.
The chief minister noted that the Sindh government has implemented the Sindh Climate Change Policy, 2022 and has prepared an Implementation Framework and Action Plan. He added that the Climate Change Department is in the process of upgrading the Directorate General of Climate Change by recruiting additional staff.
E-Stamping: The cabinet was told that a Service Level Agreement between the Sindh Board of Revenue and the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) has been executed for the implementation, operation, and maintenance of the e-stamping system. This agreement is in effect for three years, from October 4, 2021, to October 3, 2024, at an annual service charge of Rs 48 million.
The cabinet decided to extend the service period of the PITB for an additional six months, during which the provincial Information Technology Department will work on building its capacity to operate the e-stamping system.
Integrated Health Services: The cabinet approved Rs 425.713 million for salaries, non-salaries, and other liabilities for Integrated Health Services (IHS) facilities, which the Health Department has taken over from private partners. The chief minister instructed the Health Department to form a committee to verify the claimed amounts.
Khairpur Medical College: The cabinet was told that 15 faculty members in Basic and Clinical Medical Sciences at Khairpur Medical College (KMC) are currently on contract, with their contracts set to expire in November 2024. The chief minister approved a six-month extension for these teaching faculty contracts and directed the Health Department to recruit additional faculty members through the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) within the next six months.
It was noted that the positions for 64 teaching faculty members, including 28 in Basic Medical Sciences and 35 in Clinical Sciences, have been referred to the SPSC. Moreover, KMC has a working strength of 105 employees in grades BS-1 to BS-4, but only 48 are currently employed, leaving 57 positions vacant. The chief minister instructed the Health Department to proceed with recruiting the necessary employees after completing the required formalities. The cabinet was informed that filling these 57 vacant positions would incur a financial burden of Rs 26.7 million.
Thatta Health Facilities: The cabinet was informed that the Health department has outsourced 13 health facilities (five in district Sujawal and eight in district Thatta) to the Medical Emergency Resilience Foundation (MERF) through a competitive process. The contract, signed on March 19, 2015, was for five years, during which the administrative and financial control of the five health facilities in district Sujawal was transferred back to the Health Department from the private partner.
The eight facilities in Thatta will be handed over to the Liaquat University of Health Sciences (LUMHS) in Jamshoro, which has established its college in Thatta. To facilitate the reestablishment of the LUMHS teaching hospital, the cabinet has extended the contractual agreement with the current private partner for an additional six months, allowing time for the LUMHS to take over the facilities.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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