Sindh Minister for Information, Archives and Labour Saeed Ghani said on Monday that the Cabinet after detailed discussion fixed the price of sugarcane at Rs 192/40kg. He said that Agriculture Minister Mohammad Ismail Rahu and Secretary of Agriculture Department gave detailed briefing to the Cabinet and said that Punjab had fixed the price of sugar cane at Rs 190/40kg.

Saeed Ghani said that the Agriculture Minister told the members of the cabinet that the price of sugar has also increased to Rs 66. The Cabinet was also told that 26 mills were currently had started crushing. The cabinet had also set November 30, a date to begin crushing, adviser said. It also fixed the premium for sugar cane growers at the rate of 50 paisa/kg.

He said this while addressing a press conference after the cabinet meeting on Monday. The cabinet meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah. The meeting was attended by all Cabinet ministers, administrative secretaries and other officers concerned.

Saeed Ghani said that the cabinet after discussion approved the bill to restore student unions. The cabinet decided that the bill would be introduced in the Assembly and then sent to the Standing Committee on law. The minister said that the bill would be passed only after consulting all stakeholders. He said that this was also discussed in the cabinet that student unions could not stop educational activities and secondly they could not spread hatred among the students.

Student union members would not be allowed to have weapons with them nor will they be allowed to carry these arms into the educational institution. Students' Union would work to improve discipline, environment, and to promote extra curricular activities in the educational institutions, he said. Saeed Ghani said that a student union would comprised 7 to 11 members and would be elected by students.

According to the minister, the provincial cabinet was told that the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association had requested the federal government in 2016/17 to allow exporting surplus sugar. The Pakistan Sugar Mills Association also requested that it should also be given cash freight support at Rs 20/kg as the price of sugar in the global market was low.

The cabinet was informed that the federal and the provincial governments had agreed to share the cost of subsidy on 50-50 percent basis with a rebate of Rs 10.70/kg. The Sindh government gave conditional approval to release 3.393 billion of its shares. These funds would go to the State Bank's account.

The provincial minister said that the cabinet decided that on this particular issue the decision made at the previous cabinet meeting would be met. He said that this matter was currently under investigation by the National Accountability Bureau, so the funds to the State Bank could not be issued at this moment in time as the inquiry of NAB was underway. The Minister said the National Accountability Bureau would be approached for the clearance and if the NAB had no objection then the funds would be released to the State Bank.

Saeed Ghani said the cabinet members had a detailed discussion on allowing Sui Southern Gas Company Limited to lay a pipeline from Ayesha Gas Field to the MVA Golarchi. The cabinet members were told that the land belonged to the Forest Department. The land the Sui Southern Gas Limited Company wanted to lay pipeline was 40 feet wide and 8km long. Saeed Ghani said that after discussing the issue, the cabinet instructed the Forest Department to work out the procedure according to the rules and regulations.

Saeed Ghani said that on the issue of amendment in the Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1965 the cabinet decided that Minister for Transport and Law Adviser would review this amendment and the cabinet would discuss the same in the next meeting. The amendment was intended to improve issues related CNG fitness, he said.

Similarly, the Minister said that according to the Cabinet decision, the Health Minister after reviewing the amendment in Sindh Mental Health Rules 2014 would present it at the next Cabinet meeting.

He said that cabinet also approved the bill of Shaheed Allah Bux Soomro Center of Art, Design and Heritage. The cabinet decided that the bill would be tabled in the Assembly soon.

The Cabinet also approved amendment in the law Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University. After the amendment, the word sub-division would be used instead of the word town.

According to Saeed Ghani, the cabinet after discussion decided to refer the proposal of Energy Department's Minister Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh that the Thar Coal field which was a special economic zone should be exempted from Workers Profit Participation Fund and the Workers Welfare Fund to the Finance Committee.

Sindh Minister for Information said that the cabinet also gave the authority to Energy Department's Minister Imtiaz Ahmed Sheikh to nominate the Director of The Power Company Limited.

Saeed Ghani said that the cabinet also approved Sindh Prize and Correction Service Rules 2019 at its meeting. Under these rules, arrangements would be made for immediate release older prisoners. Under these rules, the age of the elderly male prisoner would be 65 years, while the age of the elderly woman would 60 years. It had also been decided under these rules and regulations that the rights of the prisoners who had not yet been convicted would be taken care of.

The minister also informed the cabinet directed the Advocate General Sindh to file an application in the Supreme Court requiring them to transfer the money submitted by Bahria Town for the land in Sindh to the Sindh Government. According to the Cabinet's decision, the Sindh government would utilize this money for the improvement of water sector in the province.-PR

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019