Sindh cabinet okays Rs190m for NED girls hostel

Meeting green flags Rs30m for Karachi Literature Festival

KARACHI:

The Sindh Cabinet, presided over by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, approved a wide-ranging set of financial, administrative and policy decisions covering education, culture, security, agriculture, climate action, infrastructure and social protection, while directing all departments to ensure timely execution, transparency and measurable results.

The meeting, held at CM House, was attended by provincial ministers, advisers, special assistants, the chief secretary and relevant secretaries.

Presenting the report of the Cabinet Committee on Finance, Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah briefed the cabinet on several recommendations. The cabinet approved a scheme of Rs190.211 million for the construction of a second floor at the Girls' Hostel of NED University of Engineering & Technology, Karachi. The chief minister observed that expanding student accommodation was essential to support female enrolment in higher education.

For heritage conservation, the cabinet approved Rs109.5 million — 50 per cent of the total cost - for the preservation and restoration of Saint Saviour's Church in Sukkur and Saint Thomas Cathedral Church in Hyderabad, with the remaining funds to be provided in the next financial year. "Sindh's heritage belongs to all communities and must be preserved with care and dignity," the chief minister said.

The cabinet also approved Rs30 million for the Karachi Literature Festival and Rs100 million for strengthening Sindh Archives, including publication of rare manuscripts, conservation of old newspapers, digitisation of records and establishment of an oral history and archival gallery.

Climate action and carbon finance

In a landmark decision, the cabinet approved the establishment of the Sindh Climate Change Fund and the Sindh Climate Change Board. The fund will be financed primarily through a 12 per cent Corresponding Adjustment Fee on net revenue from carbon credit sales.

The cabinet granted a one-year exemption from Infrastructure Cess to the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust, recognising its status as a non-profit cancer hospital and facilitating the import of life-saving medical equipment.