KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah Monday said that his government is giving Rs462 million subsidy on essential commodities such as atta, sugar and ghee for which 108 Bachat bazaars have been set up in all the five divisions of the province.
“This subsidy would continue till the end of Ramazan and simultaneously the government is taking concrete measures to stabilize prices in the market.”This he said while addressing a press conference here at CM House on Monday. He was flanked by his cabinet members Saeed Ghani, Sharjeel Inam Memon and Murtaza Wahab.
Shah disclosed that his government has set up 108 Bachat bazaars in all five Divisions of the province, including 34 in Karachi, 19 Hyderabad, eight Mirpurkhas, 10 Larkana, 17 Shaheed Benazirabad and 19 Sukkur. “The Atta is being sold at all 108 Bachat bazaars set up across the province at Rs. 400/10-KG while the market price is Rs 800/10kg,” he said and added that his government was incurring a subsidy of Rs. 462 million on provision of Atta at subsidized rates at Bachat Bazaars.
Talking about sugar and ghee, the CM said that at selected Bachat Bazaars sugar is being provided at Rs. 70-75/kg against a market price of Rs85 to 90 per kg. Similarly, ghee is being sold at Rs 410/KG whereas its market price is Rs. 450/kg. Replying to a question, Mr Shah said that his government has no ample resources to subsidise food items the whole year.
“Yes, we are working hard to stabilize the prices in the market,” he said. Minimum wage: Talking about minimum wage, the chief minister said that on the advice of PPP leadership he had announced Rs25,000 minimum wage but the federal government of PTI had resisted the move. “To me Rs25,000 are not enough for a worker to feed his five-member family the whole month but even then, it was a little relief,” he said and added he was happy that new Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif in his first speech on the floor of national assembly announced Rs25,000 minimum wage which was an endorsement of his government decision.
Mehar fire incident: The CM said that the unfortunate and painful incident of fire in village Faiz Chandio, Taluka Mehar, District Dadu claimed nine lives. “This was a tragic incident,” he said and added he has got the assessment of the damages which come to around Rs.33 million.
“I had personally visited the unfortunate village and met with the affected family,” he said and added that he had announced a Rs500,000 compensation for lost life and Rs200,000 for an injured person. Shah said that his government has so far paid Rs. 4.6 million to the affected families.
He added that the NDMA has also announced a compensation package of Rs.10 million, of which Rs. 7.5 million has been paid. Relief articles, including tents, ration has been provided to all the affected families and sufficient items are in hand at the site to recoup, he said. Murad Ali Shah thanked the prime minister for giving Rs 10 Million compensation to the affected villages.
Talking about the administrative action taken so far, the CM said that deputy commissioner Dad has been transferred and Commissioner Hyderabad Division has been directed to explain his position while the District Health Officer (DHO) Dadu, Assistant Commissioner Mehar, Mukhtiarkar Mehar and Town Officer have been suspended. Giving details of strategic actions, Shah said that directions have been given to all concerned to immediately put in place the Rescue 1122 System and implement its key components.
He added that the Status of Fire Tenders across the province was being assessed and immediate measures would be taken for their operationalisation after repair as well as equipping with the new ones at the missing areas.
Shah also said that two more fire incidents took place in two other villages: village Noorpur Deh Butt Sarai where 20 Katcha houses were gutted and in village Jhando Khan one Katcha House was reduced to ashes. He added that all concerned stakeholders rushed to the sites and completed rescue operations well in time, therefore no loss of lives had taken place and now damage assessment was under way.
Loadshedding: Shah said that 12 to 14 hours load shedding was being resorted in rural areas of the province. “I had taken up the issues with Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif during his meeting with him at CM House,” he said and added the prime minister then and there directed the concerned ministry to resolve the issue.
The chief minister deplored that the outgoing PTI government made over 700 MW power plant nonfunctional for want of fuel. “Look at their inefficiency that they could not place orders for purchase of fuel for power plants in time, therefore people have been forced to face 12 to 14 hour power outages,” he said. As far as load shedding in the city is concerned, the CM said that he has talked to the MD KE not to resort to load shedding.
The electricity shortfall of the KE has been met by the federal government. SPSC: Replying to a question, the chief minister vowed to activate Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) within a week. “We are functionalizing the SPSC within a week because a large number of recruitments have to be made,” he said. LG election: To a question, the chief minister said that the draft local government law was under consideration in the `Select Committee’ of the provincial assembly.
“We have already decided in the cabinet that the local government law will be amended in the light of Supreme Court judgement,” he said and added the draft law has nothing to do with the local bodies’ elections.
The GDA people have no understanding of the amendments being made in the local government law, therefore they were feeling that it would affect the local bodies elections, Shah said that added that the amendments were being made in the function of the local bodies not in the main law, therefore the local bodies election schedule would not be affected with such amendments.
Water issue: To a question about water shortage, the chief minister said that he had discussed the issue with Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif during his visit to Sindh and he assured him that it would be discussed in the CCI. Shah said that since 2018 the water issue raised by him was pending in the CCI though the Attorney General has submitted his report. He added that the attorney general has supported Sindh’s version on water distribution. Imran Khan: Replying to a question about former prime minister Imran Khan, the chief minister said that he has polarized the society. He added that during his tenure of three and half years Imran Khan created polarization in all the important segments of the society. “During his tenure of three and half years, we had talked on telephone and unfortunately that conversation was not pleasant,” he recalled.
He said though there were political differences between the PPP and PML-N yet we used to discuss all the issues with each other during the tenures of Nawaz Sharif and Khaqan Abbasi amicably. Shah said that the country was facing a serious economic crisis and now this country could not afford any further polarization.
“We all have to work together for the development and prosperity of the country,” he said. Girls kidnapping: To a question, the chief minister said that three girls were missing and the police have clear clues about them and their cases would be resolved soon. He said that he was going to speed up the Safe City project so that street crime could be controlled properly.
To another question, the chief minister said that the procurement issue of BRT buses was discussed with the new prime minister and InshaAllah the procurement of the buses would be finalized shortly. Polio case: Replying to a question, Murad Ali Shah said that after detection of a polio case in Waziristan, he has given a wakeup call to his anti-polio team. “Our health department is working hard in the high-risk areas and InshaAllah we will succeed in eradicating this crippling illness.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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