Day: April 21, 2021

Sindh CM approves Rs17.7bn for purchase of snorkels, fire tenders, refuse trucks

THATTA: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah approved Rs17.7 billion to purchase eight snorkels, fire tenders, refuse trucks, trackers and trolleys for local bodies of the province.

 

He took this decision on Tuesday while presiding over a meeting here at the CM House. The meeting was attended by Local Government Minister Nasir Shah, Law Advisor Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, P and D Chairman M Waseem, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Finance Hassan Secretary Naqvi, Local Government Secretary Najam Shah and others.

 

The local government department presented a proposal to purchase eight snorkels for extinguishing fire in high rise buildings. The chief minister was told that eight snorkels, each one 35 meters long would be purchased for divisional headquarters -, three for Karachi, each one for Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Nawabshah, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas and Larkana divisions.

 

The local government minister told the chief minister that the tender process for purchasing snorkels had been undertaken. He added that the snorkels were needed for all divisional headquarters. At this, the chief minister said that the amount of Rs1.5 billion would be made available in the next financial year.

 

Nasir told the meeting that the municipal committees had to transport garbage swept from their respective areas to their landfill sites, therefore, 102 tractor and trolleys were required. The purchase would cost Rs4.1 billion. The chief minister, in principle, approved the proposal and directed finance department to make the amount available in the start of the next financial year.

 

The local government department presented another scheme to purchase 89 fire tenders for different municipal committees. The minister said that most of the municipal committees were in need of fire tenders for firefighting. The CM approved Rs2.8 billion for purchase of 89 fire tenders to be provided to municipal committees all over Sindh.

 

He also approved another proposal of the local government department under which 115 refuse trucks would be purchased for Rs9.3 billion in the next financial year. Murad directed LG minister to activate KMC and DMCs to clean and desilt their major nullas. “The monsoon season was approaching, therefore, desilting of major nullas should be started shortly,” he said.

Unidentified armed men shot dead a person in Kund area of Khuzdar

KHUZDAR:Unidentified armed men shot dead a person in Kund area of Khuzdar district on Wednesday.

According to rescue sources, one person, Ahmed Muhammad Zai, a resident of Baghbana, was shot dead in Kund area of district Khuzdar of Balochistan province. The body was shifted to a nearby hospital and later handed over to the heirs after completion of necessary medico-legal formalities.

An old enmity had been reported to be the motive behind the murder. The incident has created a mourning atmosphere in the victim’s house.

Ministers calls on Punjab CM

LAHORE:Provincial Ministers Sardar Asif Nakai and Malik Nauman Ahmad Langrial met with Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar on Wednesday and discussed important matters.

Talking on this occasion, the CM regretted that some opposition parties tried point-scoring over the prevailing situation and advised them to realize facts as their previous record is conflicting with the national interest. The opposition parties have weakened national interest on every occasion through their negative politics, he added.

The CM emphasized that personal interest has no value before national interest and advised the opposition to prefer national interest while rising above narrow mindedness. Working against the interest of the country is no patriotism, he maintained. The politics of the opposition is aimed at saving its corruption while PM Imran Khan has always given preference to the national interest, concluded the CM.

Physically challenged children will be provided sports therapy: CM

LAHORE:Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar has, in principle, approved the proposal of setting up special children’s village at 104 Kanal land retrieved from the squatters in Sharaqpur. He directed to finalize the proposal adding that the latest technology be used to decrease construction cost while ensuring early completion of the project.

While chairing a meeting at his office, the CM said physically challenged children will be provided sports therapy and other facilities while sports ground will be utilized for multiple purposes. He expressed the satisfaction that a provincial special education policy has been chalked out along with the introduction of an e-transfer policy for teachers of special education institutions. Meanwhile, a special education mobile app has also been launched to help parents to get register their differently-abled child in a nearby institution, he added.

The CM stated nine new institutions have been established for differently-abled children along with the provision of 51 buses to pick and drop the disabled students. Meanwhile, 3 free uniforms and shoes are also provided to special children every year, he added. The education and training of children with disabilities is the responsibility of the government and abundant resources will be provided for the purpose, the CM concluded. DG Special Education briefed about the proposal of setting up special children’s village in Sharaqpur.

Provincial Special Education Minister Muhammad Akhlaq, SACM Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Secretary Special Education, Secretary P and D and others attended the meeting.

Journalists, Labour Committee condemns attack on Absar Alam

KARACHI:Sahafi Mazdoor Action Committee has vehemently condemned the assassination attempt on life of senior journalist and former Chairman of PEMRA Absar Alam in Islamabad on Tuesday.

In a statement here on Wednesday the convener of the Committee Karamat Ali, on behalf of the members demanded the government to arrest the real culprits and their masterminds. He termed the attack on Absar Alam a continuity to curb the freedom of expression in the country.

For the last many years, he said, the government has unleashed volleys of restrictions, censorship and curb on media, which has resulted in loss of thousands of jobs in media industry and closure of many media houses. In the past attacks on lives of prominent journalists like Hamid Mir, Najam Sethi and others were made and no culprit has been brought to books so far.

Moreover journalist Matiullah Jan was kidnapped in bright daylight from outside of school and then released as well as a journalist of Geo News was kidnapped in mysterious conditions from outside of his home in Karachi and after hue and cry he was later releases.

The Committee demanded to end impunity of some government departments and making of a law to make enforced disappearance as criminal act. The statement expressed solidarity with the journalists community and demanded the government to take stern action against those elements who are attempting to undermine the media in Pakistan.

MNAs denounce Shahid Khaqan’s remarks

LAHORE:MNAs, including Sardar Riaz Mahmood Khan Mazari, Syed Faiz-ul- Hassan, Haji Imtiaz Ahmad Chaudhary and Bilal Asghar Warraich MPA, who called on Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar at 90-SQA to discuss different matters, lambasted the demeaning remarks of former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi about National Assembly Speaker.

Talking on the occasion, the CM regretted that some opposition parties undemocratically behaved adding that respect of the House is binding on all. It is unbecoming for a former PM to utter such inappropriate commends, he maintained. The political style of the opposition is regrettable and it should realize that a befitting reply can be given to it, added the chief minister. The opposition went to any length to do negative politics over sensitive issue and made a condemnable attempt to muster support for reviving the dead politics. It seems that a drowning opposition is trying to catch at a straw, he continued.

The CM emphasized that the government sensibly acted to resolve the matter and reiterated that Prime Minister Imran Khan has fully advocated the importance of respecting the Holy Prophet (PBUH) in the whole of the world and raised a strong voice at every fora. Anarchistic politics is dangerous as the government has always propagated the importance of respecting Namoos-e-Risalat (PBUH), the CM said. Meanwhile, proposals of parliamentarians are included in the development package for every district as the PTI government is committed to accelerating the composite development process in the province, concluded the CM.

Buzdar inaugurates e-abiana billing system

LAHORE:Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar inaugurated the e-abiana billing system at a ceremony at 90-SQA on Wednesday and handed over e-abiana bills to the farmers. This system is initially introduced in Khanwah, Layyah, Kasur and Sheikhupura canal divisions to substitute the 100-year-old archaic abiana system. It is designed in collaboration with Punjab Information Technology Board to be gradually enforced in the whole of the province.

Federal Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Provincial Ministers Mohsin Leghari, Syed Hussain Jahanian Gardezi, SACM Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, SMBR, secretaries of irrigation and information departments and others attended the ceremony.

Talking on the occasion, the chief minister said computerized bills will be issued to farmers adding that the latest system will save the water users from the discrepancies of the previous practice of issuing abiana on a ‘parchi.’ Rather, they will be issued a detailed bill containing details of the farmer and agri land. This bill will be payable through nearest banks, Easypaisa, ATMs, JazzCash or e-Pay Punjab, he continued. The new facility will help the farmers along with timely recovery of abiana dues. It will also assist in maintaining the colossal irrigation system by improving recoveries, concluded the CM.