KARACHI: Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had a busy day at Bilawal House today (Tuesday), he held meetings with party leaders throughout the day and discussed the country’s political situation as well as his party’s organisational matters with them.
According to the statement issued by Media Cell Bilawal House, former Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Shazia Marri called on the Party’s Chairman and apprised him about the performance of her ministry during the last 16 months. She said that the Benazir Kafalat Program has increased the stipend of the sponsorship program by 25 percent, while 1.4 million families have also been included in this program.
She pointed out that the transgender community was also included in this program for the first time, adding that in the previous PTI government, the aid to more than 0.25 million affected people was stopped.
She said that during her tenure, the Benazir Nashonuma program was expanded from 15 to 157 districts, while also setting up 488 Benazir Nashonuma Facility Centers. “The Benazir Education Scholarship Program was increased by 201 percent,” she added.
During the meeting, Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and PPP Central Information Secretary Shazia Mari also discussed the overall political situation of the country. Senator Raza Rabbani called on Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at Bilawal House. In the meeting, the overall political situation of the country was discussed.
Meanwhile, former Minister for Labour and Human Resources Sindh Saeed Ghani also called on the PPP Chairman at Bilawal House. Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was informed about the political and organizational situation of Shahr Quaid by PPP Karachi Division President Saeed Ghani.
Among those who called on Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, former Sindh Agriculture Minister Manzoor Wassan was also included. During the meeting, the former Sindh Agriculture Minister gave a briefing on his two-year performance and said that the support price of wheat in Sindh was increased from 1800 to Rs 4,000/40kg, adding that the crop increased from 29 million tonnes to 39 million tonnes after the increase in wheat support prices.
He said that the support price of sugarcane was Rs 202, which was increased to Rs 425 per maund. Owners of agricultural land up to 25 acres affected by floods were given Rs 5,000 per acre to small farmers. “Under the scheme of the Sindh government, small farmers holding up to 12.5 acres of land are being given Rs. 60,000 as fertilizer and seeds. Different kinds of agricultural machinery has been given to the farmers along with subsidies,” he added.
Former Excise and Taxation Minister Sindh Mukesh Kumar Chawla also called on the Chairman PPP and apprised him about the performance of his department. Chawla said in the briefing that security featured number plates and smart motor vehicle registration cards were introduced for the first time in Sindh.
He said that an online vehicle tax system has been developed in Sindh under which tax can be deposited through the Easypaisa, the Jezzcash, ATM and credit card. He also briefed the party’s Chairman the political situation of Sindh.
Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was met by Lal Bux Bhutto, in-charge of PPP’s Research and Coordination Cell, in which the upcoming elections and the political situation of Sindh were discussed. Former Sindh Minister Nadeem Bhutto was also present on this occasion.
Former Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro also met Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and informed him about the political situation in Hyderabad. Jam Khan Shoro told in the briefing that during his ministry, lining of 5 thousand kilometers of canals was done in Sindh, adding that small dams have been built in various cities of Sindh including Thar and Kohistan, irrigating 0.3 million acres of land.
He said that during the floods in Sindh, all the cracks at 4,500 places were immediately filled, due to which the flooded land was quickly prepared for cultivation of new crops and as a result, a record harvest of wheat was achieved.
The districts on the right side of the Indus River received 16 million acre feet of water last year, four times more than the 4.9 million acre feet of water in the 2010 flood, but all that water was drained away. “7 million acre feet of water was pumped into the sea through the LBOD from the districts on the left side of the Indus River and for the first time there was no breach in the LBOD,” he pointed out.
Hyderabad Mayor Kashif Shoro was also present on the occasion.
Among those who called on the Chairman PPP was Karachi’s Ibrahim Hydari Town Municipal Corporation Chairman, Nazir Ahmed Bhutto. During the meeting, he briefed the party chairman on public issues and measures to solve them.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023