Post-December 27 losses: DCOs asked to submit reports by February 4

Sindh Chief Secretary Fazlur Rehman on Friday directed District Co-ordination Officers (DCOs) to individually appear and submit reports before the commission set up to ascertain the losses of life and property after the December 27 incident in Karachi and elsewhere in the province.
The Chief Secretary, at a meeting of the DCOs in Sindh, held at the New Secretariat, said that each DCO should prepare a comprehensive report regarding the losses of lives and property and submit it before the commission set up to prepare a consolidated report for the Federal government. The report is to be submitted within 39 days, which deadline expires on February 4.
The purpose of this exercise is to estimate compensation that might be given to affected people. The DCOs are given three days, beginning from January 29, to complete their reports, and submit it personally before the commission.
The chairman of the commission, Captain Usman Ali Isani (Retd), will hold his office in the premises of the office of senior member, Board of Revenue, Sindh. The commission will begin its sitting from January 29 at 10:30 am and continue for three days.
The DCOs were asked to pay attention to the contents of first information reports (FIRs) and to ensure that all legal requirements had been met and the claims had been verified, before the report was submitted. The meeting noted that Karachi suffered the most because of the December 27 disturbances.
To deal with similar or emergent situation, it was decided to set up committees at affected district levels, which would have Sindh Home Secretary Arif Ahmed Khan as its chairman and the respective DCO and representative of civil society as its members.
This committee would study the outcome of the disturbances, role of law-enforcement personnel and the civil administration, and weaknesses in the system that spoils the situation during extraordinary situations. This committee would suggest specific steps to counter ill effects of disturbances. The Chief Secretary asked the Home Secretary and the DCOs to present a report to him on this proposal within 15 days.
The meeting took notice of the reports about the shortage of wheat flour and other daily use commodities. The Chief Secretary asked Secretary, Food, and the DCOs to ensure that price were kept at the right levels and there was no black-marketing of daily use articles. They were also asked to check hoarding and short supply of goods.
The Chief Secretary took notice of complaints regarding non-supply of passbooks to farmers and the difficulty they were facing in the procurement of agriculture loans.
The Chief Secretary directed the DCOs to hasten issuance of passbooks to farmers and keep him posted with progress in this regard on fortnightly basis. The Chief Secretary, in the light of Provincial Election Commission report, instructed the DCOs to meet all office needs of the returning officers.