Cabinet approves increase in Abiana, water charges to meet M&R expenditures
Imran
KARACHI The provincial caretaker
cabinet in its meeting held under the chairmanship of Sindh Chief Minister
Justice (Retd) Maqbool Baqar has made some decisions, including increasing the
rate of Abiana and water, surveying unsurveyed land, rewriting the record of
rights, and agreeing that the land of Pakistan Steel Mill can be used for
industrial purposes by the federal government..
The
meeting was held at CM House on Tuesday and was attended by provincial cabinet
ministers, Chief Secretary Dr Fakhre Alam, Chairman P&D Shakil Mangnejo,
Secretary Local Govt Manzoor Shaikh, Secretary Finance Kazim Jatoi and others.
Steel Mill land: The caretaker cabinet has
agreed that the land of Pakistan Steel Mills can be used by the Federal
Government for the establishment of an Export Processing Zone. However, there
is a condition that the land must be used only for industrial purposes. It
should be noted that during 1973-74, the Sindh government granted land to
Pakistan Steel Mill. At present, Pakistan Steel Mills is using/controlling
13344.34 acres of land.
Abiana: Minister Irrigation Ishwar Lal told
the cabinet that the Abiana Rate and Water Supply Rate needed to be gradually
increased to meet the Maintenance & Repair (M&R) requirement of
irrigation infrastructure.
The Abiana / water charges recovery is much
less than the M&R expenditure for reasons, including Abiana / water rates
are very much on the lower side and were revised in the year 1999.
The average annual Abiana collection is Rs.
528.45 million against the average annual M&R expenditure of Rs. 4,464.77 million. As per Sindh
Irrigation Department study 2014 the average annual M&R requirement is Rs.
11353 million.
Secretary Irrigation Niaz Abbasi giving a
comparison of the Sindh and Punjab rates said that Sindh collected abiana for
wheat at Rs53.3 per acre in 1999, 2021 and 2024 while Punjab collected Rs150 in
2021 and Rs400 in 2024. Similarly, Sindh collected Rs181.87 in 1999, 2021 and
2024 for Sugarcane while Punjab collected Rs250 in 2021 and 1600 in 2024.
The cabinet was told that the rate of Sindh
for Cotton remained at Rs93.09 per acre while Punjab has 250 in 2021 and Rs1000
in 2024. The baiana rate for Rice in Sindh was Rs88.78 while the Punjab has a
rate of Rs250 in 2021 and Rs2000 in 2024. Similarly, the abiana rates for
vegetables, fodder and orchards in Sindh are 142.14, Rs53.3 and 142.14
respectively while the rate in Punjab is Rs 1200, Rs400 and Rs1000 in 2024
repetitively.
The cabinet approved an increase of the Abiana
rate for Crops and water charges for Municipal/Domestic, Industrial and
Commercial uses by 100 per cent. The current rate for Abiana is Rs53 (Riverine
water) and Rs363 (Tube well and Lift Machine) per acre and it would be
increased to Rs106/726 per acre.
The water rates for Municipal/domestic rates
are Rs0.50 per 1000 gallons and the new rate would be Rs4 per 1000 gallons
which shows a 800 percent increase. The water rate for industrial/commercial is
Rs1.0 per 1000 gallons and its new rate would be Rs8.0 per 1000 gallons.
The cabinet observed that the Municipal
Corporations, water board, WASA and even industrial areas of Karachi, Hyderabad
and. Sukkur do not pay a single penny of water to the irrigation department.
Survey of Un-surveyed: The cabinet was told that Survey work would
be started in each district, for which 32 Survey teams were being constituted
comprising one Revenue Surveyor six Tapedars and an Inspector of Revenue and
City Surveys.
Every survey team would be equipped with a
DGPS and other allied accessories including an operator.
At the end of the day, the work done by the
field survey teams would be sent in soft format to the Lab.The Lab is to be
established at the Directorate, which would process data and prepare the land
records, and then the record so prepared will be sent to the DC concerned and
Mukhtiarkar Estate for authentication.
City Survey; Due to the influx of the rural
population to the urban areas, a sufficient number of Towns require to be city
surveyed for extension of existing survey or new survey. City survey operations
are proposed to be conducted at the Divisional, District and Taluka
Headquarters (153 in total) to prepare the necessary Record of the Rights of
the residents and also to keep proper account of the Government lands.
Re-writing/Special revision of Record of
Rights: The scope of re-writing includes special revision of old Land Records
through online portals VF-VIIA, VF-II and VF-I.
Minister Revenue Younus Dhaga told the cabinet
that Re-writing committees for record of rights would be constituted. The
Verification committees would also be formed.
to carry out such multidimensional tasks, it
is proposed that the Directorate of Survey and Settlement, BOR start the
operation/work within the available man
power, however, additional technical
assistance from the market would be required, to meet the necessities.
The cabinet approved the plan and its budget
of Rs. 2,922.19 million, however, the chief minister said that during the
current financial year 2023-24, 10 per cent of the total amount that came to
Rs.290 million would be released while the remaining 90 per cent amount of Rs.
2632.19 million would be allocated in the next
financial year budget (2024-25) accordingly.
Recruitment of Sub-registrars: The cabinet
approved an amendment in the Sindh Registration Rules 1940 to pave the way for
the recruitment of sub-registrars through the Sindh Public Service Commission.
Sub-Registrars are appointed 50 per cent by
promotion from Senior Clerks who have passed the departmental examination and
50 per cent through initial appointment. The departmental examination is
conducted internally by the IG Registration.
SMBR Zahid Abbasi said that to meet the
requirement of e-registration and improve efficiency, the department proposes
amendments to the Sindh Registration Rules, 1940, regarding the initial
appointment, conduct of departmental examination, and training for
Sub-Registrars.
According to the amendment the initial
appointment and departmental examinations of the Sub-Registrar will be
conducted/made through the Sindh Public Service Commission. Only departmental
examination-qualified senior clerks will be eligible for promotions to
Sub-Registrar. Sub-registrars appointed through initial appointment must pass
the departmental examination for confirmation into service. The Training
Management & Research Wing, SGA & CD will conduct academic training for
six months, and departmental training will be conducted for the remaining six
months.
Free Text Books & exam fee: Minister of
Education Dr Rana Hussain told the cabinet that Sindh Education Foundation
(SEF) has 2723 eduactional institutions with an enrolment of 890,000.
To meet the demand of textbooks for the
890,000 students of Foundation Assisted Schools, the STBB has worked out and
demanded an amount of Rs. 964 million in the current year.
Secretary Education Ms Shireen Narejo
requested the cabinet to grant additional funds Rs.500 million for the
provision of Textbooks for SEF Schools and Rs.140 million for payment of Board
Examination Fees as applicable on the Foundation’s Schools / Centre(s) during
the current financial year 2023-24 and make it part of regular budget from next
financial year. The cabinet approved the funds.
MRI Machine for NICVD: Caretaker Health
Minister Dr Saad Niaz told the cabinet that the NICVD has requested a grant of
Rs628.311 million for the purchase of MRI Machine. The cabinet after discussion
approved the funds and ordered their release.
Recruitment of officers & Vaccinators:
Minister Health Dr Saad Niaz told the Cabinet that four officers and 455
vaccinators were required to be recruited on a contract basis for one year for
strengthening of EPI under the World Bank disbursement link indicators in Sindh
Health Support Program (SHSP), a Foreign Funded Project.
The cabinet approved the proposal and accorded
the permission to start recruitment on merit.
Shifting of KWSB feeders: Secretary Energy
Rehan Baloch said that Karachi Water Board has requested for shifting of its 42
sewerage pumping station K.Electric Feeders from high losses feeders to low
loss (load shedding feeders). The shifting of the feeders would cost around
Rs324.46 million. The cabinet approved the funds and directed the energy
department to get the feeders shifted at the earliest.
The CM said that the
HDA Employees dues: Minister Local Government
Mubeen Jumani told the cabinet that a grant in aid of Rs500 million was
required to clear the pending pension, salaries, service benefits and other
ancillary matters of the employees of Hyderabad Development Authority.
The CM said that the retired employees of KMC
and even KDA were approaching him for payment of their pensions and retirement
benefits. He approved Rs500 million for HDA employees.
On the recommendation of the Local Govt
department and the cabinet the CM approved Rs3000 one-time grant-in-Aid for KDA
to clear outstanding due of its working and retired employees.
The cabinet also approved Rs300 million for
payment of salaries to the employees of Sehwan Development Authority.
Rehabilitation of Islamkot RO Plant: The
provincial cabinet on the request of the Public Health Engineering Department
approved Rs434.109 million for the rehabilitation of 1.5 MGD mega RO plant
Islamkot, District Tharparkar. A technical team of NED andMehran Universities
had assessed the rehabilitation cost, therefore the amount was approved to
start the repair and maintenance work.
Stipendiary candidates for Forest Officers:
The provincial cabinet on the request of the Forest department approved
Rs51.216 million for 23 candidates/Range Forest Officers (BS-16) selected
through SPSC to send them to Pakistan Forest Institute Peshwar for a four year
couse.
Extension of IDA loan period: The provincial
cabinet on the request of the Irrigation Department approved the extension of
$71.7 million IDA credit upto June 2028. Under the credit facility Guddu and
Sukkur barrages would be rehabilitated.
SHC floor Air conditioner: Law Minister Omar
Soomro told the cabinet that additional funds of Rs167 million were required
for the installation of Floor Air Conditioners in the High Court. The cabinet
approved the funds.
Ahsanabad to HC Housing Society Road:
Secretary Local Govt Manzoor Shaikh briefing the non-ADP scheme has been
prepared to construct Road from from Ahsanabad to High Court Housing Society
Scheme-33 Karachi for Rs99.945 million. Karachi Development Authority would
execute the scheme. The chief minister said that the scheme would be funded by
the local government department from its intra-sectoral savings.
Minister Revenue Younus Dhaga told the cabinet
that the Survey Superintendents of Karachi, Khairpur, Larkana, Mirpurkhas and
Land Records Officer, Hyderabad have reported that un-assessed land
approximately 4.5 million acres is available in their divisional jurisdictions
for surveying.
