Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Thursday highlighted his government's three-year performance in Sindh Assembly, saying better governance with improved law and order and employment opportunities as among the major achievements.
A 30-page speech, he read out during the session, put law and order situation on top of the list of 'achievements', which, according to the chief minister, improved since the PPP-led government took over the province, saying the provincial government succeeded in subduing the alarming crimes rate.
"Despite complexities the government succeeded in maintaining law and order in the province especially in Karachi with active support of the coalition partners," he added. He claimed that street crimes had reduced by 64 per cent, vehicle snatching 45 per cent, kidnapping for ransom 27 per cent and highway robberies if compared with the overall law and order situation of May 2007. He added the Sindh government had so far arrested 216 terrorists and killed 23 others through effective counter terrorism measures.
Besides, the chief minister said the government had reached out to the "weaker" sections of the society through immediate relief and hoped women in particular would move gradually towards "inclusive growth", despite economic slowdown and power shortage.
"One of the most critically important steps we took towards inclusive growth is lifting the ban on employment and by now government has provided more than 65, 000 jobs through a transparent process," Qaim Ali Shah said. To augment economic growth, he said, the government had evolved a Priority Concept Plan (PCP) some two years back under the guidance of Asif Zardari, which was based on a "careful" assessment of the major challenges facing the Sindh province including the development gaps and availability of resources.
PCP, according to him, recognizes major development challenges including unemployment and poverty, water management, energy shortage, poor communications and poor human resources. The 2010 floods were the worst in Sindh's history, dislocating seven million people and forcing over 2.5 million people to take refuge at the government-built relief camps. The floods related casualties were less than 400 because of the government's efforts, he said.
He thanked the armed forces and Pakistan navy for deploying 8, 500 and 780 personnel, respectively for rescue operations during the floods, saying they had rescued over 100, 000 people and shifted 400, 000 people to safe places. The air force carried out 120 sorties to air drop relief supplies, Qaim Ali Shah said. The government set up over 4, 632 relief camps from Sukkur to Karachi and provided food, water and medical assistance to about 1.8 million flood affectees for over a six months period, he claimed.
"Over 6 lakh tents, 12 lakh blankets and over one million packets of hygiene kits were distributed other than food supplies for over 6 months. The government of Sindh spent around Rs 11 billion on the rescue and relief operation including Sindh's share of Watan Card payments," he said. The chief minister said the provincial government had estimated Rs 464 billion losses to the province because of the floods, whereas Asian Development Bank and World Bank put it at Rs 361 billion. "Sindh's losses accounted for 45 per cent of the losses from the floods caused across the country," he added.
About the post flood situation, he said, the deluge had caused 2, 856 breaches in the Indus Bund and the canal system. He added the government had repaired all breaches and work on their strengthening was still underway. "The canals would be fully operational for the Kharif crop," he added. He said the government had also negotiated a $405 million loan with Asian Development Bank at an interest rate of half per cent for full rehabilitation of flood damaged irrigation and roads networks, which would be completed in two years.
Turkey, the chief minister said, had also pledged to build 2,000 houses in Shikarpur, while Iran had committed $100 million for houses' construction in Thatta. "UN HABITAT is building 10, 600 houses," he added. He said floods had caused fiscal constraints, as the government had to cut provincial ADP for 2010-11 to Rs 77 billion from the allocated Rs 115 billion. "It is important to inform the house that this government succeeded in incurring an expenditure of Rs 59 billion in 2008-09 and Rs 66 billion in 2009-10 on development. This is about Rs 125 billion in 2 years," he stated.
He pointed out that during the current year, the government had released Rs 43 billion till end of April, which became 56 per cent of the revised allocation of Rs 77 billion. He said the government's expenditure against the released amount was Rs 20.9 billion, which was 27 per cent of the revised allocation and 48 per cent of the released sum.
He said Sindh Assembly had passed a bill "Sindh Public Private Partnership Act 2010" to institutionalize the concept of public-private partnership to meet the challenges of infrastructure development. About the agriculture sector, the chief minister said it contributed one-sixth of the total provincial GDP with a share of 60 per cent employment.
The government has provided 10, 000 tractors to farmers at subsidised rates to promote mechanised cultivation, besides 12,225 agriculture implements and 118 laser land levelling equipment on 50 per cent subsidised rates, he said. Qaim Ali Shah said that the cotton crop yield had surged 60 per cent, rice 33 per cent and wheat 8 per cent during 2010-11, if compared with the statistics of these crops production during 2007-08.
He said the government was planning to build reservoirs on the major canals to be filled during the rainy season for use at times of water shortage. He said the government's current investment on irrigation and drainage system was Rs 4.8 billion.
He said since 2008, the government had provided 1773 villages with electricity and 822 villages would be electrified soon. The government has provided 682 villages with gas 528 villages would soon be given the facility, he said, adding that by end of June 2011 about 1210 villages would enjoy the facility.
He said the government had set up Thar Coal Energy Board to fast track the development of coal and a fiscal incentives package for the indigenous coal-based projects had also been approved. He said the government had set up a joint venture company, Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company with a leading industrial group of the country to explore block II of Thar Coal field.
"The bankable feasibility has been completed, which has established the technical, financial and environmental feasibility of the Thar Coal project," he said, adding "the first megawatt of electricity from Thar would add to the national grid in 2015-16." He said a license had been granted to Dr Samar Mubarakmand for an experimental project on gasification of coal.
The government, he said, was developing basic infrastructure for Thar coal project and funding in this regard were being arranged. He said other key infrastructure projects included: Water Supply for Thar Coalfields, Road for movement of heavy machinery and equipment and Transmission line, airport at Islamkot.
The chief minister said the government had constructed 2,184 km new roads, besides completing development of 15 small and medium sized bridges. He said the government had also planned to make dual carriageways in the province, ie a 60 km long Hyderabad-Mirpurkhas dual carriageway, which was the government's flagship project and would complete in April 2012.
The government has also devised a road network master plan to connect every district headquarter with each other through modern dualized highways. With completion in seven years, the distance from Sukkur to Karachi will scale down to less than four hours from six hours, he said. He said the government had undertaken urban development projects and most of the schemes had been completed. The government is also making efforts to solve the problems hindering the Karachi Circular Railway Project, he added.
He said the government had announced Lyari Development Package of Rs 1.9 billion and allocated Rs 2.7 billion for development schemes in Keamari, Malir, Central and East Karachi besides Mubbarak village. The government also announced Hyderabad Development Package, Larkana Development Package and Benazirabad Development Package, Qaim Ali Shah said.
He said the government had provided missing facilities in 4000 schools, additional classrooms and the TOP mechanism. He said more than 4 million children received free textbooks every year, besides over 400, 000 girl children received stipends and 40, 000 SMCs had been given grants. He said the government planned to open 700 schools before next academic session as 300 had already been opened.
He said the government had increased health allocation to Rs 6.5 billion in 2010-11 budget from Rs 1.15 billion in 2007-08. He said the government had established Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Medical Sciences in Larkano, Shaheed Mukhtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical College in Lyari, where academic session would begin soon. He said the government had also established Sindh Bank, Sindh Board of Investment, Sindh Enterprise Development Fund, and International Special Economic Zone, besides development of Halal Meat Sector.
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