CM Murad finalises poverty reduction programmes for next fiscal year

Sindh plans to outsource lab facilities at government hospitals

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah presided over a meeting on Monday to finalise the Social Protection Strategy, under which poverty reduction programmes were being planned to be launched in the next budget, in order to implement Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) election manifesto pledges.

The meeting was attended by Adviser to CM on Information, Law and Anti-Corruption Barrister Murtaza Wahab, CM Coordinator Hariz Gazdar, Planning and Development Chairperson Naheed Shah, Principal Secretary to CM Sajid Jamal Abro, Finance Secretary Najam Shah and other officers.

The CM said that the PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has directed him to launch social protection programmes as announced in the 2019 election. These programmes would focus on poverty reduction and provide social security to the marginalised sections of the population, he added.

These programmmes include projects for poverty reduction, family health, mother and child support programme, Benazir Hari Card, Benazir Women Agricultural Workers Programme and Internship Guarantee Programme.

According to the CM, some of the poverty reduction programmes were already going-on under different departments but now they would be grouped under a single department so that proper focus is ensured. He directed Naheed Shah to establish a separate unit in her department, in this regard.



Different proposals to reduce poverty were shared including schemes such as advancing small loans, to youth and women for small businesses, which could be returned on easy installments. Women in the agriculture sector would benefit as they would get seeds and fetilizers under this programme while youth would be given scholarships to continue higher education.

The meeting decided to firm up proposals for launching these programmes which would be approved by the relevant forum.

Public health

In a separate meeting, the CM reviewed the development portfolio of the health department. Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Naheed Shah, Sajid Jamal Abro, health special secretary, finance secretary and others attended the meeting.

The CM was informed that 10 schemes of Rs13.5 billion were in progress against which Rs7.6b has been released. Of the released funds, Rs5b has been utilised and the remaining would also be utilised by the end of the financial year.

The CM said he was keen to complete up-gradation work of DHQ Hospital Mithi at a cost of Rs1.6b, THQ Kashmore at a cost of Rs763.2m and various other projects of upgradation and expansion of DHQs.

The meeting discussed outsourcing all lab facilities in government hospitals so they could run around the clock.

Meanwhile, the CM also visited the Malaysian Consulate and recorded a condolence message in the condolence book opened on the demise of King of Malaysia His Royal Highness Sultan Ahmed Shah Al-Musta'in Billah. He was received by Consul-General Khairul Nazran Abd Rehman on his arrival at the consulate.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 28^th, 2019.