Daily Times

KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Wednesday passed five government bills.

The bills include Sindh Coal Authority Act (Amendment) 2017, Jacobabad Institute of Medical Sciences Jacobabad Act (Amendment) 2017 bill, Sindh Development & Maintenance of Infrastructure Cess Act 2017, Sindh Shaheed Recognition & Compensation Act (Amendment) 2017.

The session started at around 11:26am with Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani in the chair.

Moving the Sindh Coal Authority Act (Amendment) 2017 on the floor of the House, Provincial Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said previous governments of PPP were willing to utilise the huge reserves of coal in Thar. Sindh Coal Authority was established in 1993 and the Pakistan People’s Party government was willing to utilise the coal reserves of Thar for the development of the province but unfortunately, it was not given importance. He said the bill will improve the efficiency and working of Sindh Coal Authority.

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said the Sindh Coal Authority Act was passed in 1993 and it was first under the Provincial Ministry of Mines and Minerals but there is a need to change the board and some technical requirement the house have to change it under the judgement of Supreme Court. All roads in the proximity of Thar would be constructed under the authority.

Khuhro moved another bill of Sindh Revenue Board Act (Amendment) 2017 and informed the house that this bill will further improve the performance of the board.

He said Sindh Revenue Board (SBR) collects billions of rupees and submit to the provincial treasury. Before 18th Amendment, Sindh Government received only four billion rupees from the centre and the federal government collects revenue of Sindh.

Opposition leader Khawaja Izharul Hassan said that he burst into laughter on the statements of the government in the House.

“You should be able to clearly see helplessness of people in the background of my laughter,” he said.

He said that this house was being informed that the Revenue Board of Sindh govt is used to collect Rs 60 billion on an annual basis.

“Whenever the times come to disburse (money), he (CM) has no time to spare,” he remarked.