–Katchi abadies not observing social distancing, contributing to infections
–Sindh govt proposes Sindh COVID-19 Emergency Relief Ordinance, 2020
–Sindh cabinet removes conditions imposed on procurement of wheat
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday said that 341 more cases of coronavirus were reported in the province during last 24 hours whereas the virus was spreading fast as positive cases were emerging from Karachi to Kashmore and Thar.
This he said while briefing the cabinet about coronavirus situation, said a statement issued by a spokesperson to the CM Sindh. The cabinet meeting was attended by all provincial ministers, advisors, chief secretary, chairman P&D, PSCM, Secretary Finance, secretaries of forest, food, agriculture and law.
The chief minister, who was assisted by Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi, said that the new cases emerged when 2,733 test were conducted, meaning that 12.6 per cent people were infected.
The health department has conducted so far 43,949 tests against which 4,956 cases were diagnosed which constitute 11.2 per cent of the tests.
The chief minister said that four more patients lost their lives and the number of deaths stemming from the coronavirus had reached 85 which was 1.7 per cent of the total patients while 24 patients were in critical condition and 16 others were on ventilators.
He said that at present, 3,946 patients were under treatment, including 2,705 or 68 per cent in home isolation, 825 or 21 per cent at Isolation Centres and 416 in different hospitals.
The chief minister said that out of 341 news cases 269 belong to Karachi. They include District central 20, East 90, Korangi 40, Malir 30, South 50 and West 39.
He added that despite serious efforts, the people living in katchi abadies of the city were not observing social distancing, therefore the cases were increasing every day.
He said that Khairpur had 23 cases, Larkana 12 cases, Hyderabad 12, Ghotki eight, Sukkur four, Dadu three, Matiari two, Matiati two, Jacobabd, Umerkot and Dadu one each.
It may be noted here that the Sindh government had proposed an ordinance to mitigate the challenges emerging from the province-wide lockdown to put necessary measures in place to help in providing relief.
The Sindh COVID-19 Emergency Relief Ordinance, 2020, would provide the prevention of eviction in the private rented and social sector, for the time being, giving equal relief to domestic residential and commercial tenants, employees and daily-wages workers; extending deadlines associated with responding to the school fees, rent and utility charges, conduct of trial or indictment and extension of the period for performance of duties by the court or an office.
Similarly, no educational institution shall charge more than 80 per cent of the total monthly fees; no employee or worker shall be laid off, terminated or removed and the employee shall be paid salary by the employers. The salary amount and the deduction, if necessary, is given in Schedule-I of the ordinance.
All utility providers falling within the territorial jurisdiction of the government shall provide concession (schedule-II of the ordinance) in the utility services to all domestic, residential and commercial consumers.
The landlord shall defer or suspend the recovery of the rent of the premises for payable amount as indicated in schedule-III; provided that the same shall not apply in a case where the owner is the widow, differently-abled person and senior citizen.
The government may provide an exemption in the provincial taxes, duties, fees, levies and charges. In case of non-compliance of the ordinance different penalties have defined.
The cabinet was told that a target of 1.4 million tons of wheat at a rate of Rs1,400 per 40 kg procurement had been started. The department has achieved 33.55 per cent target by procuring 469,673 tons.
It was pointed out that the conditions of presenting land documents such as passbook, form-7 and verification of documents by local councils and mukhtiarkars were causing problems in smooth procurements process.
At this, the cabinet, on the request of the food minister Hari Ram, waived the conditions imposed on procurement of wheat on growers.
The chief minister directed the food department to achieve the target and even if they had the capability of exceeding the target he would appreciate them.
Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said that he had reports that the locust swarm attacks on the standing crops would multiply in the next cropping years. “Just after coronavirus the locus swarm attacks will be another disaster,” he said.
Minister Agriculture Ismail Rahu and Secretary Agriculture Raheem Soomro briefed the cabinet about the locus control and threat issues.
The provincial government has released Rs335.095 million to the agriculture department to spray the crops against which the department utilised Rs181.638 million on the purchase of 22 spray vehicles, 300 solo power sprayers, 1,000 hand sprayers, and 50,000 Emulsifiable Concentrate (EC) barrels to combat the locust issue.
Still, Rs153.457 million are available with the department. The agriculture department has constituted 57 teams at district and taluka level and sprayed the crops.
The chief minister was told that 12 aircraft were required to spray in the desert areas of Sindh, Balochistan and Punjab.
The cabinet on the request of the home department approved a proposal to authorize Jail Superintendent to grant 72 hours temporary parole to an under-trial prisoner to attend the death of his/her blood relative.
The cabinet also authorised the Home Department to grant temporary parole to the prisoner(s) under trial for 72 hours to attend the marriage of blood relative or visit seriously ill blood relatives.
The cabinet approved a proposal to authorise the additional chief secretary, home secretary and all commissioners to exercise powers under section 144 Cr.PC.
It approved a one-time waiver of Sindh Sales Tax (SST) on the commission payable to the branchless banking retailers disbursing the cash financial assistance provided under the Ehsaas Kafalat programme of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).
The Sindh cabinet also approved exemption of tax and duties on import and transfer of machines and equipment for Gawadar Hospital project.
Moreover, the provincial cabinet accorded ex-post facto approval of all the notifications, circulars and SOPs issued by additional chief secretary home, additional chief secretary law and secretaries of administrative departments under the Sindh Epidemic Disease Act. 2014.
