Sameer Nazir
KARACHI: The Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah has welcomed and appreciated the European Union for supporting Sindh Government in implementation on its five years poverty reduction Program “Sindh Union Council & Community Economic Strengthening Support (SUCESS) and offering to contribute one third of the total cost of the Program i.e Rs. 08 billion as grant, out of Rs. 24 billion of the total estimated cost of the Program. The Chief Minister also invited the European Union to avail the opportunities of investment in other sectors including energy and agriculture.
The Chief Minister Sindh said that this gesture would further close the bilateral relations and pave the way for new avenues of other opportunities of trade and business to both sides. This he observed while holding meeting with the Ambassador European Union Lars-Gunnar WIGEMARK and his delegation who called on him at CM House Karachi today.
Talking on the occasion, the Chief Minister Sindh said that during the undemocratic period and era of dictatorship, the people of Sindh had been ignored, thus resulted increase in poverty, unemployment, and deprivation from their basic amenities. He said that now the democracy has been restored, people are expecting more from us; as such the PPP Government has conceived a 5 years poverty alleviation Program at its estimated cost of Rs. 24 billion under the title of Sindh Union Council & Community Economic Strengthening and planned to implement on grass root level/ Union Council level. He said that Sindh Government is already executing another Union Council based poverty reduction Program through Sindh Rural Support Organization (SRSO) which started from upper Sindh. He said that under this poverty alleviation Program the priority given to the empowerment of women. He said that his government has now allocated Rs. 1.3 billion this financial year as compared to Rs. 400 million allocated in last year to implement SUCCESS as we want to extend this noble job to all district in Sindh. The Chief Minister Sindh also invited the European Union for making their investment in the other sectors of developments such as energy, agriculture and water sector. He said that we are facing shortage of energy and water sources and we need technological support to fulfill the requirements. The meeting further revealed that European Union would take up seven districts of Sindh including Sujawal, Tando Muhammad Khan, Mitiari, Tando Allayar, Dadu, Larkano, and Qambar Shahdadkot comprising on 194 union councils with collaboration of local NGOs, Sindh Rural Support Program (SRSP) whereas the Sindh Government will take up 13 district including Badin, Mirpurkhas, Tharparkar, Thatta, Khairpur Mirs, Umerkot, Sanghar, Naushero-Feroz, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sukkur, Ghotki and Karachi comprising 414 union council including 10 rural union of Karachi. The Chief Minister Sindh recommended for including Tharparkar and Khairpur in the list of European Union. The meeting was informed that this Program to help average population for increasing their income, develop framework for community institution that are capable of building the capacity of the poor and enabling them to come out of the vicious circle of poverty. This Program also to establish a sustainable government –people partnership by fostering community institution and community volunteers for the delivery of various services at the grass root level and this Program to enable the community institution to arrange a sustainable micro finance program from community investment fund grant to be provided by this project. The Ambassador European Union Lars-Gunnar Wigemarks while talking in the meeting expressed his keen interest in socio-economic, development of the Sindh. He and his other members of delegation also expressed their interest in the investment in energy sector and importing agro product, specially of Mangoes, however he suggested further up gradation of the cultivation, harvest and conservation of exportable items.
Meanwhile presiding over another meeting regarding launching of poverty alleviation Program Sindh Union Council & Community Economic Strengthening Support (SUCCESS) through Rural Support Organization, the Chief Minister Sindh directed the officers to adopt participatory approach for implementation on this poverty alleviation Program. He said that Sindh is rich with artisans and resources and said that if these resources are institutionalized, the poverty would be considerably reduced from the rural areas. He asked the officers to encourage handicrafts, arrange display and outlet to the pave the ways for income and employment opportunities for the people of rural areas. The Chief Minister Sindh said that though Sindh Government was already implementing on Union Council based poverty reduction Program through Sindh Rural Support Organization (SRSO) but the initiating the “SUCCESS” Program would be helping hand to achieve the objectives. The Chief Minister Sindh directed the officers to include the district Tharparkar and district Khairpur Mirs in the list of the European Union as these districts needs more attention.
ADVISORY BOARD OF THINK TANK CONSTITUTED IN SINDH – DR. NIAZ ALI ABBASI
Sameer Nazir
KARACHI: Secretary Home Sindh Dr. Niaz Ali Abbasi has disclosed that Provincial Advisory Board has been constituted by the Home Department.
The Secretary Home Department will be its Chairman and members including Additional Inspector General of Police, Sindh, Head of Criminology/Sociology Department, Karachi University, Head of Criminology/Sociology Department, Sindh University Jamshoro, Head of Criminology/Sociology Department Shah Abdul Latif University, Khairpur, while any other think tank or person of eminence with expertise in security/legal issues to be nominated by Home Secretary.
The Home Secretary said that the terms of reference of the Advisory Board are; to conduct research on major crimes and security issues (Sectarian issue) of the Sindh Province, to organize national and international seminars on major crimes & security issues, to prepare necessary policy briefs and working papers for consideration of Government of Sindh and to prepare material on major crimes & security issues for presentation to the Sindh Cabinet/Provincial Assembly.