Sindh govt decides to turn Nahr-i-Khayyam into recreational point for families – Pakistan

KARACHI: The Sindh government has decided to beautify and develop Nahr-i-Khayyam as a recreational point where people can enjoy with their families.

This was one of the decisions made by the Sindh cabinet that met here on Monday. The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, also supported his previous decision to impose a total ban on the manufacture, sale, purchase and use of non-degradable plastic bags, except with a weight of six to 28 grams of 30 at 40 microns from October 1 (today).

The decisions included the recovery of the revised tariffs of the service rate of the Karachi Water and Sewer Board (KWSB) from 2016, and the formation of a committee for the elimination of difficulties in the implementation of certain provisions of the revived 2002 Police Order.

After the meeting, the Minister of Information, Seed Ghani, informed the media that the cabinet also approved several measures related to Sindh Bank, including a new commercial viability plan for 2019-2020 and also to provide the 8,000 million Rupiah remaining from the capital plan of Rs 14,700 million. to meet the requirement of the State Bank.

The bill for the establishment of The Sindh Rescue Services 1122 was also discussed and a committee formed by the Minister of Health, the Legal Counsel and the General Counsel was formed to review the bill and convert it into a regulatory organization.

The restriction on plastic bags is effective

The prime minister, while giving his approval to sign an agreement with a private party to beautify, modernize and develop Nahr-i-Khayyam, said that this would be a gift for the people of Karachi and that it would be for families to have a picnic and enjoy sailing in beautiful boats; for literary people to enjoy their reading material and for young people to enjoy different flavors of coffee at the Nahr-i-Khayyam bank.

By presenting an agreement to develop Nahr-i-Khayyam as a recreational point to be signed between the Sindh government and a group of non-governmental organizations with the abbreviation of PANI, led by the prominent architect Shahid Abdullah, the local government minister Nasir Hussain Shah requested cabinet approval.

The development of Nahr-i-Khayyam would cost around Rs 1,500 million, which would be financed by PANI, while the Sindh government would build a duct at a cost of Rs 50 million to segregate and guarantee a smooth wastewater flow .

Nahr-i-Khayyam runs from the Gizri crossing to the sea.

The cabinet was told that in recent years sewage had been discharged into the canal for disposal at sea. Solid waste was also removed along the banks of the canal.

The cabinet was informed that after a meeting with PANI, a draft agreement was proposed under which the NGO would develop and adopt a park / recreational area in the area with Nahr-i-Khayyam in the north and the service lane in the south from Khayaban-i-Saadi to Khayaban-i-Iqbal.

The tenure of land adoption would be 30 years.

Under the proposed agreement, the park will not be used for any political activity and the land title will remain in the hands of the Sindh government. The adopted park area will not be used for any commercial activity, except for grocery stores, etc. and the height of any structure will not be more than 15 feet.

Prohibition of plastic bags.

The environmental adviser, Murtaza Wahab, in a consultation told the prime minister that a complete ban on the manufacture, sale, purchase and use of non-degradable plastic bags of all sizes had been imposed as of October 1, 2019. He said that only oxo-plastic bags / biodegradable shopping bags of different sizes, from 10 to 14 to 30 to 40, weighing six to 28 grams of 40 to 30 microns, would be manufactured, sold and used on one side only. .

The CM ordered its adviser to meet with manufacturers and vendors and take them in confidence for the application of the ban.

KWSB

The cabinet ordered the KWSB to implement water / sewer service charges / fees, as approved by the government in 2016.

The KWSB has implemented a nine percent improvement in its rate for consumers of all categories.

Gun License Rate

At the request of the department of origin, the cabinet approved the improvement of the fees for the free weapons license (drilling prohibited) from Rs1,000 to Rs2,000 to cover the costs of scanning, laminating, printing, electricity, stationery, development of software consumed in issuance of such computerized licenses.

New police law

The department of origin told the cabinet that after the revival, the 2002 Police Order was currently in the field. With the reactivation of the law, certain new measures would be taken, such as the formulation of standards, the issuance of regulations, executive orders, daily activities related to the field operation, etc., in accordance with the new law. There may be certain provisions in the act in which the PGI office and the department of origin or any other interested party may differ in their application / implementation / interpretation, which may cause difficulties in complying with the provisions of the Order of the Police.

The chief minister formed a committee under the legal advisor with the attorney general, the attorney general, the household secretary, the secretary of finance, the secretary (I&C) S & GAD and the IG police as members for the elimination of difficulties.

Sindh Bank

The new CEO / president of Sindh Bank, Imran Samad, made a presentation to the cabinet about a new business plan under which 20 new branches would be opened. The cabinet approved the bank's commercial viability plan for 2019-20.

The cabinet approved an amendment to the Sindh Higher Education Commission by replacing the word "secretary" with "executive director" in different sections of the 2013 law.

The other decisions include the supply of 35 cusecs of water to power companies in Thar Block II from the Makhi-Farash Channel through a pipeline from Nabisar to Vajihar until the LBOD supply system is operational.

The cabinet also reviewed the bill for the establishment of Sindh Rescue Services 1122, the draft rules for the development and maintenance of Sindh's infrastructure. The cabinet formed a committee to review the rules of the Sindh Cattle Improvement Service Authority, authorized Minister Nasir Hussain Shah and Advisor Murtaza Wahab to speak with IBA approval teachers to correct their complaints and also to resolve the problem of boycotting OPD staff at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and the losses of KMDC teachers.

The meeting was attended by the chief secretary, Mumtaz Ali Shah, all the provincial ministers, advisors and relevant officers, such as Dr. Kaleem Imam of IGP, Attorney General Salman Talibuddin, the attorney general and others.

Posted on Dawn, October 1, 2019