Sameer Nazir
KARACHI: The Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah has directed the Inspector General of Police Sindh and all DIGs at divisional Headquarters to provide full protection to the minorities, their worship and socio economic places without fail. The Chief Minister also announced district wise housing schemes for the shelter less poor people of minorities with free of cost and directed the Deputy Commissioner of the concerned districts to identify Government land within their jurisdiction and reported him. He said that PPP Chairman Mr. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was taking keen interest in the protection and prosperity of minorities.
This he directed while presiding over meeting of minority committee held at CM House Karachi today. The Sindh Minister to minority Gyan Chand Esrani, the Sindh Minister for Excise & Taxation Mukesh Kumar Chawala, Hariram, Dr. Khato Mal, Dr Mahesh Kumar, Dinsha Uncle Sirya, Anwar laldin, Mushtaque matto and other participated in the meeting.
The Chief Minister Sindh while addressing the meeting said that to protect the rights of minorities and promote their socio economic activities was the motto of PPP. He said that establishment of Kolhi Goth at Hyderabad by Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was the foundation step towards the welfare of minorities by PPP.
The Chief Minister Sindh assured the minorities representatives that PPP Government would not only protect their rights, lives and properties but also to provide financial help to the poor people belonging to their communities. Announcing the financial assistance for the medical treatment, scholarship and dowry (Jahaiz), the Chief Minister formed a committee, headed by Sindh Minister for minoirity affairs, Gyan Chand Esrani and Special Assistant to CM Rahsid Rabani to distribute cheques among the deserving beneficiaries without any discrimination.
The Chief Minister Sindh while taking serious notice of some incidents of kidnapping, in upper Sindh directed IG Sindh Police for taking action for recovery of the abductees and provides fool proof security to the minorities. He directed the IGP Sindh to deploy the Police personnel belong to minority communities at their worship places and restore their confidence and avoid any embarrassment to them.
Responding a suggestion, the Chief Minister said that Sindh Government was constantly in contact with Federal Government to get the legal status of evacuee properly (Agriculture land) in district Tharparkar cleare and added that it to be followed the distribution of same land among the genuine people. He said that so far the matter of provincial share of evacuee properly from centre after 18th amendment is concerned; the Sindh Government was in touch with for the purpose. While talking about the matter of Hindu Gym-Khana, the Chief Minister said that though it is pending because of litigation over it but he is interested to resolve this issue as much as he can. He formed committee headed by commissioner Karachi to segregate the plot between disputed and undisputed land and evolve the mechanism to resolve at least its undisputed portion.
While talking in the meeting, the representative of minorities observed that they are the real son of soil and not to leave the Sindh as they are son of this soil. They were of the view that migration of the Hindu communities was only media hype. Expressing their thanks to chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for extending full support and security said that they were feeling themselves more secured in PPP Government. The participants pointed out their problems mostly belonging to welfare of their communities for which the Chief Minster assured them to be resolved on the priority basis.
Sameer Nazir
KARACHI: The Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah has recommended the National Highways authorities to start the physical working in the Karachi to Hyderabad motorway M-9 Project, Karachi to Lahore motorway (KLM) Project within this year and also to complete the Lyari Expressway and reconditioning of National Highways with qualitative work at earliest. This he observed while presiding over a high level meeting about the implementation on the Karachi Hyderabad Motorway project for which the foundation stone was laid by former President of Pakistan Mr. Asif Ali Zardari in the March 2013. Addressing the meeting, the Chief Minister Sindh said that time frame of the any development project has importance. He said that the Sindh Government has put its administrative machinery in the field and at the disposal of NHA for providing precious Government land, acquiring private land for these projects and facilitating them in all administrative matters just to ensure better, qualitative communication service to the people of Sindh. However, he maintained that he will not allow any organization to create difficulties by facilitating big but rich stakeholders. He asked the management concerned that the alignment of KLM project should be such a way so that all the cities / town from where it pass be connected to facilitate the people. He farmed the committee comprised of superintendent Engineer Highways Sukkur & Hyderabad and representative from NHA to visit the alignment and ensure that provision of inter connection of cities / town is incorporated in the plan.
The Chief Minster expressing his apprehension over the deteriorated condition of the National Highway observed that due to substandard maintenance of this National importance highway, its one side was getting spoiled when another is being repaired.
Similarly the Chief Minister Sindh asked the management of the NHW for early completion of the Lyari Expressway and assured that the assignment on the part on Sindh Government would be fulfilled and even Sindh Government was ready to pay Rs. 2.5 billion for the land acquisition and resettlement of the affected people. He also assured the NHA for releasing the bottleneck in completion of Sehwan- Rato Dero resolved asked the Chief Secretary to do the needful.
The Chairman National Highways Shahid Ashraf Tarar, while briefing the meeting said that Karachi- Hyderabad motorway M-9 with 136 Km was important project not only in the perspective to have better communication facilities to the people of both cities but it to be linked with the Karachi Lahore motorway (KLM) project to facilitate the people all over country.
He said that almost all the working except mutation of 200 Acres of land at District Jamshoro has been completed and hopefully physical work on this project to be started within this calendar year 2014.
He said that this project needs 6868 Acres of land for its reserved row out of which 5296 Acres of land so far has been mutated in favour of the NHW while remaining land expect 200 at Jamshoro is ready for mutation.
While talking about the KLM project the Chairman NHA said that it has been divided in four sections. He said that these section include Hyderabad to Karachi 136 Km from Hyderabad to Sukkur 296 Km, from Sukkur to Multan 387 Km and from Multan to Lahore 276 Km. He said that planning has been made to connect all the town/ cities from where this way is passing.
He said that except Sukkur to Multan section, all other sections would be completed in BOT basis, while Sukkur Multan section would be completed with the help on Chinese loan. He said that as many as 525Km of this 1125Km falls in the area of Sindh, it to be started from Sukkur Sindh for which the PC-1 of this section has been prepared.
He assured the Chief Minister that reconditioning of the existing National Highway would be maintained with qualitative work and hopefully by the December of this year situation would be much improved.
The Chairman NHA lauded the contribution and co-operation of the Sindh Government specially Commissioner Karachi- Hyderabad specially is achieving the private land and leasing the state land to his organization. He said that the Sindh Minister for works & Services, Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, the Advisor to CM for Finance Syed Murad Ali Shah, Chief Secretary Sindh Sajjad Saleem Hotiyana, Senior Member Board of Revenue Malik Israr, Secretary to CM Alumdin Bullo, Secretary works & services Kazi Shahid perviaz , Commsioner Karachi Shoaib Siddiqui, Commissioner Hyderabad Jamal Mustafa Syed, officers from the National Highway and revenue department attended the meeting.