Sindh stops police from making ‘unnecessary arrests’, reduces cotton fee

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, presiding over a five-hour long cabinet meeting, took important decisions which include amendment in police rules, handing over of four KMC hospitals to the health department and reduced cotton fee.

The cabinet meeting was held at CM House on Saturday. It was attended by provincial ministers, advisors, chief secretary, chairperson PD, and concerned officers.

KMC
Hospitals

The provincial cabinet, on the request of the KMC, approved
a proposal to take over four healthcare facilities of KMC: Gizri Maternity
Hospital, Sobhraj Maternity Hospital, Gazdarabad General Hospital, District
South and Landhi Medical Complex District Korangi.

The KMC spends around Rs800 million on these health
facilities but due to financial issues it could not operate them properly. The
KMC even could not pay salaries to the employees in time, therefore with the
consent of KMC the cabinet approved to hand over these health facilities to the
health department to operate them at their full capacity.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that the
provincial government would not take Rs800 million from KMC for running its
hospitals but the government would give additional Rs603.1 million to the
health department to operate the KMC hospitals.

Amendment
in police rules

The provincial cabinet on the recommendation of Sindh IG has
approved an amendment in Rule 26 of Police Rules 1934 envisioning to stop
police officers from making arrest of a person merely on account of
registration of FIR. Now, after amendment, it allows police officers to collect
credible evidence against suspects that crime and seek approval from the senior
police officer beforehand. This amendment would stop police from making
unnecessary arrests.

Reduction in cotton fee

The agriculture department told the cabinet that the cotton
fee has been increased from Rs10 to Rs20 per 100 kg right from 2019. It was
pointed out that the Punjab government was charging a cotton fee of Rs10 per
100 kg. The cabinet after detailed discussion reduced the cotton fee from Rs20
to Rs10 per 100 kg.

It may be noted that the Excise and Taxation department
collects cotton fees.

Reflective number plates   

The Excise Taxation department gave a detailed
briefing about the security featured petro-reflective number plates for all
kinds of vehicles to be manufactured by National Radio Telecommunication
Corporation.

The cabinet, after thorough discussion and deliberation
approved a proposal of the Excise department to negotiate with NRTC for procurement
of security featured retro-reflective number plates for all types of vehicles,
including two-wheelers, three-wheelers and four-wheelers.

The chief minister directed the Excise department to
expedite the matter so that security number plates could be issued to the
vehicles in the province.  

Sindh Sales Tax exemption

The cabinet was told that the NDMA has requested the provincial government to exempt the Storm Water Drain project from Sindh Sales Tax.

The SRB had worked out that the exemption, if approved,
would be around Rs1.2 billion. The cabinet opposed the exemption request on the
pretext that it would set a new trend. Therefore, the chief minister proposed
that the project was being executed in the city, therefore the Sindh government
should pay the SST amount on behalf of the NDMA. The cabinet approved the
proposal.

Graveyard

The cabinet after thorough discussions approved the allotment of 10-acres of land to Masjid-e-Rizwan Trust to make a graveyard at a rate of Rs100,000 per acre at Deh Moach, Mauripur, District Keamari. The chief minister directed the local government department to work out a plan to establish an authority to allot land to graveyards and regulate them.

Chinese Consulate

The cabinet at the request of the Chinese Consulate approved a proposal to hand over them a vacant plot of The Institute of Pakistan Tourism Hotel Management, located adjacent to the Consulate. In exchange for the plot the Chinese Consulate has offered to give them a 2,000 square yard plot to the culture department. The cabinet approved the proposal.

Violence in hospitals

The provincial cabinet in order to provide protection to and
prohibit violence against healthcare service providers and to prevent damage or
loss to property in healthcare service facilities passed a bill `Sindh
Healthcare Service Providers and Facilities (Prevention of Violence and Damage
of Property) Bill 2021.

Onward no person/ heirs of a patient would be allowed to torture, harass or mishandle a medical officer or relevant hospital staff under the pretext of providing wrong treatment or negligence in respect of their patient.

Article source: https://www.samaa.tv/news/2021/07/sindh-stops-police-from-making-unnecessary-arrests-reduces-cotton-fee/