Sindh Cabinet has accorded approval to the appointment of executive director of NICVD alongside nodding some draft bills that were referred to the provincial legislature. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah presided over the cabinet meeting at the New Sindh Secretariat, here on Tuesday. The cabinet was told NICVD was the most important institution and it has established new satellites in various districts. Its director was retiring today (Wednesday); therefore, a new director may be appointed on the recommendation of the selection committee.
The cabinet was told that the selection committee had recommended two professors namely Professor Dr Nadeem Qamar as the first and Professor Dr Syed Nadeem Rizvi as second suitable person for that slot. The first one got unanimous approval from cabinet to succeed his predecessor for four years and the Secretary Services was directed to issue the notification of his appointment.
The draft laws which the Sindh cabinet approved included: Sindh Home-based Workers Act, 2018 which is related to the home-based workforce or piece rate workers involved in manufacturing and post-manufacturing process such as garment and hosiery, shoe making, embroidery, carpet weaving, handlooms, woodwork, bangle making, dates cleaning and packing, pottery, handicrafts and others.
The chief minister said government believes that the provincial policy on home-based workers is inspired by the vision of egalitarian society, which is free of exploitation and coercion and where all citizens are equal before law and enjoy equal rights to live with dignity and self-respect.
The draft law says that every registered home-based worker shall be entitled to social protection, medical benefits, grants and other privileges as available to a person who is worker and workman in accordance with the definition of Sindh Industrial Act, 2013 etc. A survey will be conducted on place of work of home-based workers so that hazardous conditions could be identified and then removed.
Sindh Cabinet also approved establishment of a 47-member council headed by Minister Environment while secretaries of all the departments, divisional commissioners, the Dean, Faculty of Plant Protection at Agriculture University Tando Jam and two MPAs. The council will approve comprehensive provincial environmental and sustainable development policies and ensure their implementation within the framework of a conservation strategy and sustainable development plan.
The cabinet also approved establishment of different committee such as Industries, Agriculture and others. On the recommendation of Chief Justice of Sindh High Court, Sindh cabinet appointed former Justice Sadiq Hussain Bhatti as Chairman of Sindh Environmental Protection Tribunal for four years.
The cabinet also approved appointment of two members of the tribunal, Abdul Rauf Memon, deputy director (Tech) B-18 and Advocate Mohammad Arif as member legal. Sindh Industries Registration Act-2018 has been approved for registration/de-registration of industrial undertaking; survey/inspection of industries; power to call information in public interest or order any survey or inspection; monitoring industrial waste and pre-treatment of effluents.
The cabinet was informed that the ICRC-SZABIST organized consultative session to discuss the Amendments in Motor Vehicles Ordinance, 1965and pondered upon delays in shifting the affected people in ambulances due to rush of traffic, the ambulance stuck up in traffic jam and did not get clear track/ways to the hospitals, resultantly the injured expired. The provisions of the Motor Vehicles Rules were scrutinized for desired amendments in existing provincial motor Vehicles laws. Proposed amendments were made in the definition of ambulance that means a vehicle designed or adopted primarily for the purpose for carriage of sick, wounded or invalid persons or animals and registered as such with the health authority.
Emergency Vehicle has been defined as motor vehicle used only as law enforcement vehicle, fire-brigade or ambulance to relieve distress. A new word 'obstruction' has been added in the amendment which means any action by a person, vehicle or otherwise that would hamper, hinder or impede the progress of another vehicle.
In this way, Section 82-A of the existing law has been amended as duty to make way for emergency vehicle that means a driver of a vehicle or any other person, to the extent practicable, shall slow down, move to the left or otherwise, make all possible efforts to give clear uninterrupted and safe passage to an emergency rescue vehicle or an ambulance with active warning lights and siren.
Creation of Ziauddin University Board of higher Secondary Education: The cabinet in its meeting on 11.12.2017 had reached some consensus that there should be some essential requirements for Private Education Board. The cabinet approved organizational, legal, financial and other related formalities and requirements, including the submission of a feasibility report outlined in the general institutional requirements-Pro forma.
These guidelines pertain to registration, availability of infrastructure and adequate financial resources, examination staff, examination and affiliation criteria, fee structure, quality assurance, students supervision, assessment etc. Regularisation of Contract veterinary Doctors: Sindh Assembly has passed the bill for regularization of Vet and sent it to the Governor for his assent.
The governor has made some observations to revisit the bill and ensure that upon regularisation, the veterinary doctors may not be transferred from their initial place of appointments till the position on which they are working is duly filled by another veterinary doctor. The cabinet made necessary amendment to the bill and re-referred to the assembly.
The cabinet discussed draft Sindh Regularization of Contract Paid & Work Charged LBOD employees Act, 2018. Under the proposed law the services of 2601 employees of LBOD would be regularized. The cabinet approved the draft. The health department presented a draft bill before the cabinet for regularization of doctors and other paramedical staff appointed on contract. The cabinet formed a committee under LG Minister Jam Khan Shoro with secretary Health and secretary Law as its members with the directions to meeting tonight and go through clauses of the draft bill so that doctors and other staff could be regularized.
On the recommendation of the Chief Justice of Sindh High Court, the cabinet offered appointment of Imran Malik advocate, as Judge ATC Khairpur, the position lying vacant while the cabinet allowed Manzoor Ahmed Qazi to complete his remaining term as Judge ATC Naushehro Feroze.