Daily Times

KARACHI: Adviser to Sindh chief minister (CM) on Information Barrister Murtaza Wahab announced that the Sindh cabinet had approved the decision to increase the minimum wages of labourers to Rs 16,200.

The provincial advisor said this while briefing the media following a cabinet meeting which was presided over by Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah, all provincial ministers, advisers, special assistants, Sindh chief secretary, Inspector General of Police (IGP) and other relevant officials. Barrister Wahab said that the cabinet had also approved the decision to increase the wages of highly skilled and skilled labourers. It is pertinent to mention here that the Sindh government got passed the Sindh Minimum Wages Act from Sindh Assembly back in 2015.

Furthermore, Barrister Wahab informed the media that the cabinet had approved the formation of a sub-committee which would be tasked with overseeing financial matters of the province. He said that the sub-committee would comprise of Minister for Local Government Saeed Ghani, Minister for Works and Services Syed Nasir Hussain Shah and Minister for Energy Department Imtiaz Shaikh. “The sub-committee will approve the future expenditures of the government,” said the CM advisor while elaborating on the functions of the sub-committee.

The adviser told the media that Sindh CM Syed Murad Ali Shah while felicitating the members of the cabinet, specially the elected representatives of Sukkur, termed the public gathering held on Friday the 30th November, 2018, the foundation day of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) an ‘accomplishment.’

According to the advisor, the cabinet also formed a committee to look into “Sindh Reproductive Healthcare Rights Act 2018” (SRHR). The Act gave protection to the basic rights of mothers and children.

The principles of family planning were also devised in accordance with the SRHR Act. Wahab also informed the journalists that the cabinet had approved the new name for the Department of Sindh Katchi Abadi. The department was renamed to ‘Human Settlement Spatial Development and Social Housing Department.’

The CM advisor said that the observation of the Supreme Court (SC) mandated Water Commission about the Sindh Industrial Trading Estate Limited (SITE) were discussed in detail by the cabinet and the cabinet formed a committee comprising of Minister Saeed Ghani, Barrister Murtaza Wahab, Minister for Revenue and Relief Department Makhdoom Mehboob Zaman, CM advisor on Industries Sardar Muhammad Bux Mahar and tasked it with presenting a solution to the SITE issues after consulting with the governing body. According to the adviser, the CM was of the view that in order to promote industrialization the Board of Directors (BOD) of SITE should be made more vibrant.

The advisor said that the CM also ordered that human settlements be protected while obliterating the encroachments. He also asked Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani, Adviser Barrister Murtaza Wahab and Mayor Karachi to devise a rehabilitation plan in this regard and present it before the cabinet at the earliest.

The CM lauded the verdict of the Supreme Court (SC) against the removal of encroachments. The adviser said that the encroachments on the route of Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) would also be obliterated and ‘genuine affectees’ of the campaign would be offered compensation.

Responding to a query, the provincial advisor said that the Information Department will devise legislation regarding the payment of salaries to the employees of the media houses. To another question, the adviser said that the Governor Sindh had never been the part of the apex committee, though he was invited to attend few of the meetings in the past. Concluding the press briefing the Adviser informed that the Cultural Day will be celebrated.

Published in Daily Times, December 2^nd 2018.