KARACHI: Sindh cabinet has fixed Rs302 per 40kg of sugarcane as the minimum price for crop 2022-2023 and approved reservation of seats for transgender in the local councils (LCs). The Cabinet also approved the purchase of additional 40 buses for the People Bus Service run in Karachi.
Meeting of the provincial cabinet was held at the CM House with Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in the chair.
All the provincial ministers, advisors, special assistants, Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, Chairman P&D Hassan Naqvi, PSCM Fayaz Jatoi, and other concerned officers attended the meeting.
Advisor to CM on Agriculture Manzoor Wassan told the cabinet that he has held a number of meetings with all the stakeholders, including growers and millers to develop a consensus for the fixation of new sugarcane prices. The stakeholders had their own points of view.
The cabinet approved the fixation of the minimum price of sugarcane at Rs302 per 40 kg and also fixed the quality premium rate at Re0.50 (50 paisa) per 40 kg as approved by the federal government in 1989-99.
The provincial cabinet believing in the policy of equal rights for every segment of society has approved reserved seats for transgender in the local councils.
At the request of the Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Shah, the provincial cabinet discussed the allocation of reserved seats for the local council for six categories. It includes women, youth (at least one seat), labour or farmer one seat, non-Muslim members one seat, persons with disabilities one seat, and transgender persons one seat.
The provincial cabinet on the request of Transport Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon approved an amount of Rs1.7 billion for the purchase of 40 more 12-meter hybrid buses for the already operational Peoples Bus Service in the city.
A proposal of launching a Peoples Bus Service for Tourist sites in the province also came under discussion.
The cabinet directed Minister Culture Sardar Shah to submit a written proposal so that buses from Karachi to major Tourist spots such as Keejhar, Thar, Ranikot, and other areas could be launched.
The provincial cabinet after thorough consideration granted education emission to nine convicted prisoners. The remission was granted in favour of nine ‘lifer’ ATC convicted prisoners including Abdul Jabbar (16 months remission), Muhammad Ali (6 months), Syed Aamir Hussain (6 months), Khalid Abbas (6 months), Syed Shahzad Ali (6 months), Ali Raza (10) Months), Asif Ali (16 months), Syed Nayyar Raza (22 months) and Khalid Aziz (10 months). These convicted prisoners have passed Adeeb Sindhi/Urdu, matriculation, and intermediate examinations and qualified for educational remission.
The health department presented an agenda item with the request to hand over the administrative control of Reduction of Stunning and Malnutrition to Peoples’ Primary Health Initiative (PPHI), Sindh.
Minister Health Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho told the cabinet that PPHI has already initiated Nutrition Services in Dadu and Jamshoro while the health department was running the programme in 21 districts.
The cabinet approved the proposal and allowed the health department to hand over the programme to PPHI. In the current financial year, the Sindh government has allocated Rs2.9 billion for the Reduction of Stunning and Malnutrition Programme.
The cabinet approved the procurement of 300,000 tons of wheat from PASCO so that the wheat requirement of the province could be met till the harvest of the new crop in early March.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023