Daily Times

Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah presided over a cabinet meeting, approved several initiatives, including launching the Hub Canal project using provincial government resources, additionally, 100 acres of land were allocated for an Inclusive City for Persons with Disabilities.

The cabinet meeting also saw the decision to impose property tax collection in cantonment board areas, acquire 50 electric buses on a Rent Own Financial Model, launch S-BOSS for a consolidated business registry, and form a Sindh-based home workers council. The meeting was held at CM House on Thursday and was attended by provincial ministers, advisors, the chief secretary, the chairman P&D, SMBR, concerned secretaries and others.

The CM taking a policy decision in the interest of Karachi decided to rehabilitate Hub Canal through his government funding.

Karachi has two major water supply sources – the Indus River through Keenjhar Lake providing about 570 million Gallons Daily (MGD) water and Hub Dam. Hub Canal built in 1982-84 has outlived its life and its capacity reduced from 100 MGD to 70 MGD for many reasons. Some of the large areas of Karachi, including but not limited to, Orangi, Baldia, Kemari, SITE and New Karachi, depended upon the water supply from Hub Canal.

The cabinet was told that an effort was made to undertake the Hub Canal Rehabilitation Project under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for Rs. 75 billion in PPP mode, but the project could not move forward.

The water board has submitted a proposal to rehabilitate the existing Hub Canal and construct a New Canal of 100 MGD parallel to the existing one. The proposal has a financial cost for constructing the New Canal and rehabilitating the existing Canal for Rs. 9.8 billion and Rs. 2.92 billion respectively. The cabinet approved the proposal and directed the water board to expedite the process and start the work.

The cabinet approved a plan to levy and collect property tax from the cantonment areas as per Supreme Court decisions.

The cabinet was informed that the Supreme Court had ruled that the provincial government would be responsible for imposing and collecting taxes on immovable property in the Cantonment areas. Currently, the Cantonment boards have been levying and collecting the property tax and entertainment duty.

Minister Local Govt Saeed Ghani told the cabinet that the provincial government has devolved the collection of Property Tax from the Excise & Taxation department to the Local Government in July- 2022. He added that the levy and collection processes were still under the purview of the E&T dept with human and another resource, this procedure would continue for the next three years. The cabinet policy decision approved the plan that the cantonment boards would keep levying and collecting Property Tax in their respective areas keep two per cent service charges and hand over the rest of the amount to the provincial government. Minister Transport Sharjeel Memon told the cabinet that the National Energy Transport Corporation (NETC) has brought 50 buses which his department was plying on three routes. He said that TIP proposed a ‘Rent to Own financial Model’ for the supply, operation and maintenance of electric buses, along with EV charging, depot Infrastructure and alternative Energy production to the Sindh govt.

The cabinet considered the proposal of provision of Rs 412.5 million during 2023-24 for six months (Jan – June 2024) monthly payments for 50 electric buses and subsequently Rs 825 million per annum allocation for seven years and Rs. 412.5 million for the last six months of the contract period in Sindh Mass Transit Authority (SMTA) budget, which is inclusive of O&M and lease payments and keeping all other items fixed, may be approved on G2G basis with NETC. The cabinet approved the proposal. After, seven years, the buses would automatically come under the ownership of the Sindh government. The cabinet members after discussions and deliberation approved the allotment of 100 acres of reclaimed land between Shaheed-e-Milat Expressway and Malir Expressway, Deh Drigh, Nai Malir, Karachi to the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPD).

The CM said that to cater for all needs of inclusion, education, rehabilitation and vocational under one compound wall was required. Through the DEPD the Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) would be made more productive to contribute their roles in every walk of life, he added.

He said that inclusive schools, a special education & Rehabilitation Complex, a Vocational Training general hospital, a neuropsychiatry ward, and an institute of Clinical Psychology and C-ARTS would be established. Shah said that a Residential facility for PWDs would also be constructed on the plot because there was no separate and dedicated residential facility for the abandoned PWDs available in the public sector. He added that a special park, the DEPD office complex would be established on the land. The chief minister said that hundreds of acres of land have been reclaimed for the construction of the Malir Expressway. Therefore, he said the Board of Revenue and police must ensure proper protection of the land.

“I will not tolerate encroachment on. The state lands anymore,” the CM warned.

The chief minister informed the cabinet that, following his instructions, the provincial Investment department has created a Sindh Business One-stop-one-shop (S-BOSS) which includes an online consolidated business registry. This registry covers applications, e-payment of fees and challans, issuance of NOCs and permissions, application tracking, SMS/email notifications, a management dashboard for applicants/departments and e-certification, he maintained.