‘Paan cabin owners earn more than agriculturalists’

“I pay Rs70,000 tax on my agricultural land,” the minister for communications and works, Manzoor Hussain Wassan said.

KARACHI: “I pay Rs70,000 tax on my agricultural land,” the minister for communications and works, Manzoor Hussain Wassan, told the Sindh Assembly on Saturday, adding that growers earn very little revenue from their fields.

“A paan cabin at PACC earns more than we do,” he claimed, in opposition to the demand for a higher tax on agricultural land made in the assembly session on Friday.

Wassan felt that the growers were already paying too many taxes.

The sixth day of the provincial assembly session met under the chair of speaker Nisar Ahmed Khuro on Saturday.

Minister Wassan gave details of developmental projects and revealed that Rs12.7 billion were earmarked for his department.

He also talked about the ongoing schemes of five flyovers that would make the section of Shahrae Faisal leading to the airport signal free.

The budget for a coastal highway has also been approved, he told the assembly.

Talking about the Kalabagh Dam, Wassan said that it was not Punjab’s war for water but a few retired generals who were trying to save their land through the controversial project.

He urged parliamentarians to unite for their rights as journalists, judiciary, retired generals and bureaucrats do. “If they can all unite to fight for their interests then why can’t the parliamentarians do the same?” he asked, adding, “Media has portrayed a nonserious image by inviting us to their talk shows, which is humiliating.”

Irrigation

The irrigation department’s approval was not obtained when the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) was resold to the Abraaj group from Middle East, the irrigation minister, Murad Ali Shah, admitted when questioned by MPA Arif Mustafa Jatoi.

Shah said that Rs122 million were spent on desilting work along Mithrao canal. He also gave details of revamping works that cost around Rs110 million. The ADP schemes for the same canal had been completed in 2008 at a cost of Rs1.6 billion. Talking about the Thar development package, Shah said that the work had been completed in June 2008 and had amounted to Rs3.8 billion.

In reply to MPA Nadeem Ahmed Bhutto’s question, the irrigation minister replied that the World Bank(WB) funded project for improving the irrigation system was still in progress. The $175 million, of which the WB was providing $150 million, project has been trying to increase agricultural output and reduce poverty since September 2007.

Moreover, replaying to another question by Bhutto about the rice canal, Shah said that the rice canal was opened at the start of the Kharif season. However, there is no fixed date to supply irrigation water in the Rice Canal, he claimed.

To a question by Arif Jatoi over the number of beldars, or guards, in the province, Shah said that beldars under the jurisdiction of Kotri Brarrage were 13 in Hyderabad, 40 in Tando Mohammad Khan, 550 in Thatta and 51 in Jamshoro. Meanwhile, the beldars for Sukkur Barrage were 73 in Sukkur, 332 in Khairpur, 314 in Naushero Feroz, 233 in Shaheed Benazirabad, 132 in Matiari, 43 in Hyderabad, 30 in Tando Allahyar, 20 in Tando Mohammad Khan, 30 in Badin, 12 in Mirpurkhas and 139 in Sanghar, which comes to a total of 1,358.

Coal energy, jail reforms

The province would greatly benefit from converting coal into energy, said Sindh Minister for Industries Rauf Ahmed Siddiqi, adding that industrialisation will increase if the coal energy project in Thar sustains.

He informed the house regarding a project for establishing a small city for skilled workers’ development, which was based on 10 acres near the Super Highway and had a cost of Rs162 million. He discussed another scheme of 200 acres of industrial estate on the Super Highway amounting to Rs310 million, which was also underway and, he felt, would help boost the province’s economy. While the minister praised the government for its stance on the NFC and 18th Amendment, he criticised the budget for making cuts in his proposed development schemes.

Meanwhile, the minister for jails, Haji Muzaffar Ali Shujrah, alleged that the previous government earned money by providing employment opportunities since they charged Rs100 for each employment form. According to him, more than Rs110 million were earned through these forms and those in power ‘bought expensive jeeps’.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 20^th, 2010.