‘MQM to remain an ally of the ruling coalition’
Sindh CM talks to media after chairing a meeting on flood rehabilitation.
KARACHI:
Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah has said the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) will continue to be an ally of the ruling coalition and if the party disagrees with Zulfiqar Ali Mirza’s statement, the issue will be resolved.
He spoke to journalists at Chief Minister House on Monday after a meeting with the food department and the International Finance Corporation to sign an agreement for the construction of wheat storage silos.
He said Mirza’s statement was blown out of proportion by the media. “When the alliance between the MQM and Pakistan Peoples Party was formed, people predicted the alliance would not last but they were proved wrong,” said the chief minister.
The core committee forum was present to discuss issues and whatever cannot be settled by the committee will be settled by President Asif Ali Zardari and Altaf Hussain, he added. All coalition parties will be taken into confidence for all decisions, he assured.
He also said the bill for the restoration of the magistracy system in Sindh is ready and would be presented to the Sindh Assembly after the allied parties approve it.
‘Corrupt officials will return the money they stole from funds’
Action will be taken against corrupt officials who misused the funds given for flood rehabilitation, said Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah on Monday.
All such officials will be suspended and will have to pay back all the money that they stole, he said while presiding over a meeting at Chief Minister House. He directed all DCOs to resolve the grievances of residents in their areas by providing seeds and fertilisers without any delays.
“All MPAs in their areas have to look after the process of distributing relief goods and district level committees should be set up to keep a better check,” he said.
The chief minister said that the heads of each provincial department should nominate a deputy secretary to inspect contempt of court cases against their departments. “Many cases are being registered but they are not being pursued properly,” he remarked.
The participants of the meeting were told that the Sindh government released Rs4.3 billion to the irrigation and power, agriculture, and works and services departments for the rehabilitation of schemes.
Minister for Irrigation Jam Saifullah Dhareejo said the irrigation department infrastructure suffered damage during the flood but he assured that all breaches and leakages in the canals will be plugged by January 15, 2011. “We need Rs180 billion to strengthen the River Indus embankments as well as its canals,” he said.
According to Dhareejo, 1,460 breaches occurred in Kotri Barrage while 96 occurred within its jurisdiction. The chief minister also directed the relevant officials to start the strengthening of Manchar Lake. “The work should start by February 2011,” he said.
Agriculture secretary Agha Jan Akhtar pointed out that only Rs1 billion was given to their department even though they demanded around Rs3.5 billion. “We have distributed 25 per cent seeds and fertilisers to affected people and want to speed up the process. But we need resources.”
The works and services secretary told the participants that 1,187-kilometre-long roads, worth Rs193 million, will be built by December this year. He said that 513-kilometre-long roads will be built by January 31, 2011.
Minister for Finance Murad Ali Shah, Minister for Works and Communication Manzoor Wasan, Adviser to CM on Planning Kaiser Bengali and Chief Secretary Ghulam Ali Pasha attended the meeting.
with additional input from online
Published in The Express Tribune, December 21st, 2010.
Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah has said the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) will continue to be an ally of the ruling coalition and if the party disagrees with Zulfiqar Ali Mirza’s statement, the issue will be resolved.
He spoke to journalists at Chief Minister House on Monday after a meeting with the food department and the International Finance Corporation to sign an agreement for the construction of wheat storage silos.
He said Mirza’s statement was blown out of proportion by the media. “When the alliance between the MQM and Pakistan Peoples Party was formed, people predicted the alliance would not last but they were proved wrong,” said the chief minister.
The core committee forum was present to discuss issues and whatever cannot be settled by the committee will be settled by President Asif Ali Zardari and Altaf Hussain, he added. All coalition parties will be taken into confidence for all decisions, he assured.
He also said the bill for the restoration of the magistracy system in Sindh is ready and would be presented to the Sindh Assembly after the allied parties approve it.
‘Corrupt officials will return the money they stole from funds’
Action will be taken against corrupt officials who misused the funds given for flood rehabilitation, said Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah on Monday.
All such officials will be suspended and will have to pay back all the money that they stole, he said while presiding over a meeting at Chief Minister House. He directed all DCOs to resolve the grievances of residents in their areas by providing seeds and fertilisers without any delays.
“All MPAs in their areas have to look after the process of distributing relief goods and district level committees should be set up to keep a better check,” he said.
The chief minister said that the heads of each provincial department should nominate a deputy secretary to inspect contempt of court cases against their departments. “Many cases are being registered but they are not being pursued properly,” he remarked.
The participants of the meeting were told that the Sindh government released Rs4.3 billion to the irrigation and power, agriculture, and works and services departments for the rehabilitation of schemes.
Minister for Irrigation Jam Saifullah Dhareejo said the irrigation department infrastructure suffered damage during the flood but he assured that all breaches and leakages in the canals will be plugged by January 15, 2011. “We need Rs180 billion to strengthen the River Indus embankments as well as its canals,” he said.
According to Dhareejo, 1,460 breaches occurred in Kotri Barrage while 96 occurred within its jurisdiction. The chief minister also directed the relevant officials to start the strengthening of Manchar Lake. “The work should start by February 2011,” he said.
Agriculture secretary Agha Jan Akhtar pointed out that only Rs1 billion was given to their department even though they demanded around Rs3.5 billion. “We have distributed 25 per cent seeds and fertilisers to affected people and want to speed up the process. But we need resources.”
The works and services secretary told the participants that 1,187-kilometre-long roads, worth Rs193 million, will be built by December this year. He said that 513-kilometre-long roads will be built by January 31, 2011.
Minister for Finance Murad Ali Shah, Minister for Works and Communication Manzoor Wasan, Adviser to CM on Planning Kaiser Bengali and Chief Secretary Ghulam Ali Pasha attended the meeting.
with additional input from online
Published in The Express Tribune, December 21st, 2010.