Sindh to procure 250 hybrid buses

KARACHI:

The provincial cabinet decided on Tuesday to procure 250 diesel hybrid electric buses under the Sindh Intra-District People's Bus Service project. Besides, the cabinet vowed to take up the matter of the controversial 2017 census before the parliament and decided to devolve solid waste management to the divisional level.

The cabinet meeting, which convened under Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and was attended by provincial ministers, advisors and the relevant secretaries, was also briefed on wheat procurement that began in the province from April 1.

Transport woes

With several transport schemes pending and the deplorable state of mass transit in the metropolis, and in other areas of Sindh, the cabinet decided to procure 250 diesel hybrid electric buses for six districts of the province.

The meeting was briefed on the proposal for 250 buses by Sindh Transport and Mass Transit Minister Awais Qadir Shah.

Awais apprised that these buses would operate in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Mirpurkhas and Shaheed Benazirabad. The estimated cost of the project is Rs8 billion, he said, adding that his department has hired a professional consultant for the project.

The transport minister was given the green signal for the project and the CM assured that the necessary funds would be released for it.

Reservations on census

The CM briefed the cabinet on the meeting of the Council of Common Interest (CCI), following which the controversial 2017 census was approved.

Shah said that he had attended the meeting on Monday via video link and the census was approved despite his dissenting vote.

The CCI, since its inception, has taken decisions after a consensus is reached, said Shah. "This was the first decision which has been taken despite a dissenting vote."

He maintained that he had apprised Prime Minister Imran Khan that all four provinces had serious reservations on the census results. Shah said he had urged for a fresh census to be conducted.

The CM stated that in such a situation the matter has to be taken up before the parliament. The cabinet concurred with the CM and decided that the Sindh government would proceed as such.

Solid waste management

Moreover, the cabinet was briefed by Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah on the Sindh Solid Waste Management Act 2021 draft bill.

The proposed law envisages the creation of solid waste management boards at each divisional headquarter of the province.

Each board would be headed by the commissioner of the relevant division and the mayor or metropolitan corporation chiefs would be among the members. The functions of these boards would be fulfilled by their respective managing directors.

The cabinet approved the proposal and forwarded the proposed draft to the provincial assembly.

Wheat procurement

Meanwhile, briefing the cabinet, Sindh Food Minister Hari Ram said that his department started wheat procurement on April 1, 2021.

He apprised that over 60 per cent of the wheat crop has been harvested in lower Sindh's districts and 6,333.85 metric tonnes (MT) has been procured thus far.

The minister said that the policy guidelines for the wheat procurement campaign were causing delays in procurement. He asked the cabinet to waive the condition of producing an agriculture pass book.

According to the Ram, this would encourage growers to get the gunny sacks for wheat from the food department's procurement centres.

The meeting was further informed that the Sindh government was offering a price of Rs2,000 per maund and the growers were inclined to sell to the provincial government.

The cabinet approved the minister's request and waived the condition of producing the pass book or the form to get the gunny sacks.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 14^th, 2021.