Sindh Assembly, through passing two government bills into law on Monday, approved the establishment of two "open to all" educational institutes in this provincial capital to promote research-oriented education in business, medical and emerging sciences in the province.
The provincial legislature, which met here at Assembly Building with deputy Speaker Shehla Raza in the chair, also said yes to a joint resolution calling upon the federal government not to withdraw subsidy on electricity until an adequate supply is ensured by KESC, Hesco and other energy providers. The PPP dominated house, however, failed to hold discussion on Sindh Protection and Prohibition of Amenity Plot Bill, 2009 and Sindh Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill, 2009, and deferred them till the next session.
The two bills if passed would restore commissionerate system in the province besides entitling Sindh Assembly with "overriding" powers to decide the fate of amenity plots in the province in terms of usage.
The two bills, which were introduced by the PPP in April, are said to be a bone of contention between PPP and its coalition partners in Sindh, MQM, with the latter having strong reservations over the proposed bills. "There is no impediment as such (for taking these bills for debate), but all we want is to pass the two bills in a way that could ensure an effective and complete implementation of the same," Marri clarified to a post session briefing.
The two bills, which the information minister termed as "important", are awaiting consideration of the multi-party legislature for at least two and half months, since mid-April 2009. Commecs Institute of Business and Management Sciences Bill, 2009 and Sindh Institute of Medical Sciences Karachi Bill, 2009 were the two bills which were carried clause-by-clause by the house unanimously.
The two bills provide that no "domicile" would be required for a student willing to take admission in the two institutes. In her comments, Marri said "special" thing about the proposed institutes would be that these would make admissions purely on merit without any discrimination.
"The institute shall be open to all persons of either sex of whatever religion, race, creed, colour or domicile who are academically qualified for admission to the course of study offered by the Institute and no such person shall be denied the privileges of the Institute on the grounds of sex, religion, creed, race, class, colour or domicile," Section 5 of the two bills maintains in almost same words.
Also, a joint resolution, recommending to the Sindh government to request the federal government "not to withdraw subsidy being provided for supply of electricity in the province till adequate electricity is made available by KESC, Hesco and other electricity providers to the household, commercial and industrial consumers", which was tabled during the previous sitting was also passed by the house unanimously.
Among others Humera Alwani, Marvi Rashdi, Jam Mehtab Daher, Heer Ismail Soho, Shama Mithani, Dr Sikandar Mahendro supported the bills. Earlier, the chair announced that Governor Sindh had given assent to two separate bills, Sindh Public Procurement Bill, 2009 and Colonization of Government Lands (Amendment) Bill, 2009. During question-hour Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, Mines and Minerals Development, Labour Minister Amir Nawab Khan and Minister for Industries Abdul Rauf Siddiqui responded to supplementary questions of the members.
To a query the industries minister told the house that the balloting of plots in Sindh Small Industrial Estate Hyderabad would be carried out under the supervision of House Standing Committee, authorised officers and the media instead of Nadra. Later, the deputy speaker prorogued the house.