KARACHI: The Sindh cabinet has approved purchase of 5,000 Coronavirus testing kits and Rs100 million for adopting preventive measures against the virus.
On Tuesday while presiding over the cabinet meeting here at CM House, chief minister Murad Shad said that so far 53 tests of coronavirus in Sindh have been conducted, of them only two tests were found positive.
He said isolation wards have been established in nine hospitals with 118 beds.
Shah said he has assigned the task to Indus Hospital to look after the Coronavirus issue right from conducting test, keeping the suspects in isolation and providing them treatment, adding provincial government of Sindh has given them a Rs100million grant for purchase of kits and other necessary equipment.
The cabinet approved release of Rs100 million grant and purchase of 5000 testing kits.
Separately, the local government department presented a draft Sindh Water Act-2020 regarding use of ground and surface water for commercial purpose.
The chief minister constituted a committee under him as chairman and chief secretary, minister local government, minister Irrigation, Minister Agriculture, Minister Public Health as members. The committee would review the draft law and may form a separate body to regulate the matters of ground water.
The agriculture department briefing the cabinet said that three phases of tractors purchase on government subsidy have already been completed and the fourth phase had come to standstill when the NAB authorities issued investigation in the matter on charges of fraud and corruption.
The government had aleady released Rs450 million to Sindh Bank for subsidy when the phase-IV was halted. Now the NAB has given guidelines under which the cabinet approved to start the phase-IV.
The cabinet was told that the balloting for the applicant who had applied for was done when the scheme was launched.
The food department briefed the cabinet about wheat procurement plan for crop 2019-20. Under the plan along with fair distribution of bardana among growers, particularly district-wise procurement target would be fixed on proportionate basis. The cabinet also approved to purchase 20 percent jute bags and 80 percent PP bags. It was also decided that functional flour mills would be allowed to retain wheat stock of 90 days as per their sanctioned/grinding capacity.
The food department proposed Rs1400 price of wheat per 40 kg. At this the chief minister said that the federal government has fixed Rs1365 per 40 kg support price and was going to revise it.
He directed chief secretary to coordinate with federal government so that center and the province(s) could fix the same minimum support price. He also said that this decision should be taken within next four days because harvesting of wheat has already been started.
The Sindh cabinet approved transfer of 1530 acres of land located in Deh Gharo, Dhabeji district Thatta to Sindh Investment Department to establish it as China Economic Zone Dhabeji. The cabinet also fixed the price of the land at 25 percent of the market value of an acre which Investment department would pay to Revenue department and would start development of the economic zone.
SMBR and Secretary Investment briefed the cabinet about the rates, development. The chief minister said that the economic zone would open new vistas of employment opportunities and prosperity.
The Sindh cabinet after thorough discussion has given another term to eight vice chancellors including Dr S.H Lodhi of NED University, Dr Aslam Uqaili of Mehran University, Prof. Parveen Shah of Shah Abdul Latif University, Prof. Bikha Ram of LUMHS Jamshoro, Prof. Nisar Siddiqui of IBA Sukkur, Prof, Tariq Rafi of JSM University, Dr Faizullah Abbasi of Dawood University and Dr Madad Ali Shah of BBS University Khairpur.
The meeting was told that in Mirpurkhas campus of Sindh University was established in 2009 which was offering bachelor level and master programs. At present, the campus is running nine programs of bachelors and matters with enrolment strength of 1000 students.
The chief minister said that as Mirpurkhas division has no full-fledged university; therefore, the Camps may be upgraded to the level of university. He added that Mirpurkhas division has three districts, Mirpurkhas, Tharparkar and Umerkot with a population of 4.5 million. Therefore, such a huge population should have a university.
The University & Board presented draft bill of University of Mirpurkhas Act 2020 which cabinet approved and directed law department to vet the draft law and present in the assembly.
The cabinet after thorough discussion approved the jurisdiction of Shaikh Ayaz University, Shikarpur. Under the jurisdiction all the degree colleges of Larkana division would be affiliated to the Shaikh Ayaz University. The degree colleges/law colleges of the Larkana division are presently affiliated with Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur which falls in Sukkur Division.
