KARACHI:Prime Minister Mian Mohammad Shahbaz Sharif, during his maiden visit to provincial capital of Sindh as new chief executive of the country, on Wednesday announced to include Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) in CPEC projects and issued directives of early completion of K-IV bulk water project, construction of all the roads of industrial areas of the city and financially support the provincial government in the procurement of buses for BRT projects.
“We all have to work hard for the development of all the four provinces to steer the nation out of poverty and unemployment,” he said while presiding over a meeting of the provincial cabinet to discuss and decide PSDP-related development projects and outstanding issues between the provincial and the federal governments. The meeting was attended by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah along with his cabinet members, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Khuwaja Izhar and Kanwar Naveed of MQM, Khakan Abbasi, Ahsan Iqbal, Mariam Aurangzeb and Miftah Ismail of PML-N, Akram Durani, Maulana Assad Mahmood of JUI-F. Chairman WAPDA, Chairman NDMA, a number of federal secretaries attended the meeting.
At the outset of the meeting, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah welcoming the Prime Minister said that in 2015 then prime minister Nawaz Sharif had chaired a meeting in the CM House in 2015. “Your this meeting with the participation of all the partners would prove to be beneficial for the people of Pakistan, particularly of Sindh. The chief minister, chairman P and D and provincial ministers briefed the prime minister about different projects and issues.
K-IV Augmentation: The prime minister was told that the augmentation works of K-IV would cost Rs52.34 billion. The augmentation works include connectivity of the outlet of reservoirs being developed under the Greater Bulk Water Supply Scheme (phase-I 260 MIGD) to the main KWSB system in the city.
Under other works Pipri system of 65 MIGD is being developed to improve water supply in District Malir, Korangi and Cantonment Areas. Water supply in District South, Central and Some Areas of District West is also being improved at 130 MIGD. The Hub System (65 MIGD) is also being upgraded to improve water supply in District West, North Karachi, Surjani, North Nazimabad and SITE Areas.
The chief minister requested the prime minister to finance Rs10 billion for K-IV augmentation works because the funds committed by donor agencies would flow in January 2023. At this the prime minister said that his government would support the Sindh government to complete augmentation works well in time.
K-IV project: The prime minister was told that 260 MGD K-IV, Phase-I costing Rs.126.4 billion has been approved and being executed by WAPDA with federal government funding.
The lining of Kalri Baghar Feeder Phase-I for improvement of KB Feeder System and extension of Keenjhar Lake to cost Rs.35.536 billion and Rs.75.564 billion respectively.
The chief minister requested that the prime minister direct NEPRA to approve tariff rates for K-IV. He also urged the PM to make all the required funds of K-IV available so that it could be completed in time.
The prime minister vowed to provide all the required funds in time and directed the chairman WAPDA to start work on war footings to provide water to the city.
Karachi Transformation Plan: The prime minister was told that KTP was announced in 2020 with an outlay of Rs1.17 billion for various projects in the areas of water supply, sewerage treatment management, internal roads and Mass transit in Karachi.
The share of provincial government is Rs686 billion whereas federal PSDP share is Rs487 billion, the chief minister said and added the total cost of public private partnership projects, at an advanced stage, was Rs176.9 billion and total viable gap fund/equity for the projects was Rs32 billion every year.
The chief minister requested the prime minister to issue necessary directives for issuance of sovereign guarantee/VGF for mega PPP projects and allocate Rs10 billion per year to finance provincial governments annual obligation of Rs32 billion. At this the prime minister assured the chief minister that the federal government would support the Sindh government.
SIDCL: The prime minister was told that Sindh Infrastructure Development Co. Limited (SIDCL) was a public sector development company established under the companies Act 2017 for execution of schemes by Federal Government in Karachi Under the company 10 schemes of Rs.47.913 billion with an allocated of Rs.10.297 billion in PSDP 2021-2022 were in progress.
The chief minister requested the prime minister to abolish SIDCL and all its assets and schemes may be transferred to the Sindh government for execution. The prime minister asked the chief minister to send him a proposal so that necessary action could be taken.
Karachi Circular Railway (KCR): The PM was told that in 2016 KCR project was included by 6th Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) for its inclusion in CPEC projects. The KCR project was approved by ECNEC at a cost of Rs.207.546 billion in 2017 under CPEC funding. Now the project has been revised by ECNEC in 2022 for Rs.181 billion to be taken up under PPP mode. At this the prime minister said that under the PPP mode the project would be delayed. He decided to include the project in CPEC projects.
Hyderabad – Sukkur Motorway: The chief minister told the prime minister that the Hyderabad-Sukkur Motorway project was approved by ECNEC in 2022 at a cost of Rs.165.7 billion under PPP. He added that the project envisaged construction of 306 km long, 6 lane wide, access controlled fenced motorway
The scope of work includes one main bridge, 165 sub-ways, 123 cattle creeps, 30 kms service roads on either side, 10 service areas and 12 rest areas. The prime minister said that he would include the project in CPEC.
Jamshoro – Sehwan Road: CM Murad Ali Shah said that Jamshoro-Sehwan Road project was approved in 2017 for Rs.14 billion. The Sindh government provided Rs7 billion in 2017 as its 50 percent share but the work has not been completed. At this the prime minister directed NHA to complete the project at the earliest.
Cash Development Loans: The prime minister was told that total CDL outstanding as of 30th June 2021 against the Sindh government was Rs.28.162 billion. Since 1973-74 Sindh has paid Rs.159.101 billion against an outstanding CDL of Rs.72.653 billion. The interest rate of CDL is 6.8 percent to 17.71 percent. The New RBOD loan (1994-2020) was Rs.17.505 billion. Sindh Government approached Finance Division to exclude proposed debt service charges from 2011-2021 but it has differed only Rs.7 billion for next two years. The chief minister requested the prime minister to write off loan amount of Rs.17.505 billion and interest payment of Rs.12.027 billion and refund of deductions already made. The prime minister asked the chief minister to file a proposed request with him so that action could be taken accordingly.
Three hospitals: The meeting was told that after devolution, in July 2011, the three Hospitals – Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center Karachi, National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases Karachi and National Institute of Child Health Karachi were transferred to the Sindh government.
In 2011, some JPMC employees belonging to other provinces went to Sindh High Court on the plea that they want to go back to the Federation. In 2016, the Sindh High Court gave its decision against the devolution.
The Sindh government filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the high court judgment. In February 2019, the Supreme Court upheld the decision of the High Court and decided that these three devolved institutes / hospitals be transferred to the federal government with the directions to reimburse all the expenses the Sindh government had incurred on these institutes since 2011, that come to Rs 110 billion.
The Sindh government has filed a review appeal in the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2019, which is sub judice. The prime minister decided that the federal and. Provincial governments ministers should sit together to hand over the control of the hospitals to the Sindh government. He agreed that the provincial government was running these hospitals properly.
PMC: The prime minister was told that since the inception of Pakistan, admission in medical and dental universities and colleges was the prerogative of the respective province. In 1998, an entry test system was introduced, and it was carried out by each institute separately for the admission in public and private medical and dental universities and colleges.
In 2018, it was decided to conduct one entry test at provincial level for the admission in Public and Private Medical and Dental Universities and Colleges while Aga Khan Medical University and Armed Forces Medical Colleges were exempted.
On 22nd September 2020 replacing PMDC Ordinance 1962, National Assembly of Pakistan passed Pakistan Medical Commission Act 2020 with the objective to regulate medical profession, medical education and to recognize medical and dental qualification all over Pakistan.
Through the new legislation, Pakistan Medical Commission has withheld the provinces from conducting a centralized provincial/regional medical and dental college admission test and has given this power to the National Medical Authority, who shall conduct annually, as per the standards approved by the National Medical and Dental Academic Board, a centralized single admissions test (MDCAT) throughout Pakistan on virtual platform.
The chief minister said that the PMC Act 2020 did not appreciate the fact that all the provinces have their own academic syllabus / curriculum and that MDCAT cannot be made a centralized / single admissions test. “Approach of this nature is violative of the Fundamental Rights of the students who tend to seek admissions in different medical universities on merit,” he said.
Mr Shah said that the PMC Act 2020 has not even taken on board the Provinces and stakeholders in respect of conducting a centralized / single admissions test. The PMC Act has proved to be a disaster for smaller provinces as it allows private sector medical colleges and universities to admit students irrespective of their domiciled province, the CM said and added MDCAT test was carried out from the syllabus of Federal government at a higher passing percentage of 65 percent. Therefore, the passing percentage of students of Sindh remained low.
He said that Sindh Cabinet approved the proposal of Health Department to lower passing percentage in MDCAT-2021 to 50 percent from 65 percent so that the candidates having not less than 50 percent in MDCAT-2021 were considered as eligible for admission in MBBS and BDS Session 2021-22 while the overall weightage for evaluation the merit remains the same as per following formula.
The Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) officially turned down the Sindh government’s request to slash the MDCAT passing percentage for admissions to private medical and dental colleges in the province, Murad Shah said and added due to this decision of Pakistan Medical Commission, Sindh Province would be facing shortage of doctors in future as most of the seats in private medical and dental universities and colleges would remain unfilled.
The chief minister requested the Prime Minister to consider the decision of Sindh Cabinet and issue necessary directions to Pakistan Medical Commission to register the students of Public and Private Medical and Dental Universities and Colleges who have been admitted as per the criteria set by the Sindh Health Department, He added that the Prime Minister may consider the proposal of conducting one separate entry test at provincial level by each province of Pakistan as per their syllabus / curriculum for the admission in their respective Public and Private Medical and Dental Universities and Colleges. At this the prime minister asked the chief minister to send him the proposal and request in writing so that action could be taken accordingly.
Earlier, the prime minister landed at Faisal Base where the chief minister along with his cabinet members received him. The chief minister drove the prime minister in his vehicle to Mazar-e-Quaid where the prime minister offered fateh at the mazar of the father of the nation and recorded his impressions in the visitors’ book.
The chief minister again drove the prime minister to CM house where they held one-on-one meeting to discuss issues of mutual interest. At the conclusion of the meeting the prime minister talked to the official media and apprised them of his decision he had taken in the meeting with the provincial government.