Daily Times

Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar presiding over a meeting has directed the industries department to start inspection of industrial units to check safety hazards, functionalize health facilities in the industrial areas, digitalise the record of all the plots in SITE and small industrial estates and activate printing & stationary wing for the printing of textbooks.

He issued these directives while presiding over a meeting of the industries department here at CM House.

The meeting was attended by Minister of Industries & Revenue Younis Dhaga, Chief Secretary Dr Fakhre Alam,

Chairman P&D Shakeel Mangnejo, Secretary to CM Raheem Shaikh, Secretary Industries Rasheed Solangi, Secretary Energy Fayaz Abbasi, Secretary Labour Shariq Ahmed, MD Sindh Solid Waste Management Imtiaz Shah, MD Water Board Salahuddin and others.

Minister Industries Younis Dhaga told the CM that there were 4000 industrial units registered with the industries department.

He pointed out that the Nooriabad Industrial Estate has no firefighting arrangement even it has no health facilities to carry the patients in case of any incident. At this, the CM directed the chief secretary to either connect the Rescue 1122 facility at Industrial Areas or provide them with fire tenders and establish health facilities at the industrial estates.

The CM said that various industrial estates have hospitals, but they were not functional properly. The interim CM said that the industries department must play its active and due role after witnessing the Baldia Factory tragedy. He directed the industries department to inspect all the industrial units to check for safety hazards.

He added that most of the factories have not developed systems used to prevent and control hazards, therefore they must be put in place for the safety of the workers. He also pointed out that the industrial plots have been illegally converted into warehouses, therefore necessary action must be taken.

Baqar said that most industries were not paying minimum wage to their workers and even denying them overtime. These all issues could be settled or redressed by conducting inspections. He directed the industries department to develop a proforma for inspections so that all the safety issues, the condition of the building, and the facilities for the workers could be covered.

The CM on the recommendation of the minister of industries approved an online facilitation of all the permits, permissions, and NOCs for SITE and Sindh Small Industries. Online registration of firms, societies, and trusts would be carried out. The CM also decided to digitalize allotment records of plots of SITE and Small Industries.

The meeting decided to conduct a district-wise survey of industries and the data would be uploaded on the website. Small and Medium Enterprises would also be registered through an online portal under the One-Window solution.

Minister Industries told the CM that the provincial government has no industrial policy. He pointed out that renowned Economist Dr Qaiser Bengali has been engaged to frame the policy which would be notified after the approval of the CM.

The CM directed the industries department to establish a Combined Effluent Treatment Plant at SITE Karachi. It was pointed out that a Scheme for Combined Treatment Plant for Hyderabad and Sukkur has also been made for Rs3.4 billion for which Rs25 million has been allocated in the current budget. Since the cost of both the treatment plants has escalated, a summary has been floated for approval of additional funds outside the budget.

The CM was told that 26 development schemes in different SITE, small industrial estates have been launched for Rs1.5 billion. At this, the CM said that an Industrial and Development Company may be formed to execute development works.

The Minister said that he has formed a works committee to check the pace and quality of work.

The CM was told that the industries department has a Printing and stationary wing. At this, the CM said that it should be assigned the task of printing textbooks for the school education department.

He directed the department to prepare for starting a pilot printing of books of two or three subjects initially and then it would be given the printing contract.