KARACHI: Atta price reduced by Re 1 per kg: Cabinet offers Ramazan package
KARACHI, Nov 22: The Sindh Cabinet here on Thursday decided to reduce the price of atta by rupee one per kg while offering a relief to the people under its “special Ramazan package”.
The government will spend an amount of Rs 120 million for extending this subsidy to the people. Moreover, wheat worth Rs 30 million would be distributed among the poor and the needy.
According an official statement, Sindh Governor Mohammadmian Soomro, who presided over the cabinet meeting, directed the ministers, chief secretary and other officials to implement the Ramazan package at the earliest for making it a source of relief to the people.
The cabinet also considered cases of compensation, pending for the past 10 years. The governor expressed surprise and sorrow over non-payment of compensation even after a decade.
He directed all the departments and organizations to frame permanent and durable policies as temporary policies often lead to complications.
He was of the view that the delay in decisions and keeping the matters pending opens a floodgate of corruption and people face deprivations.
The meeting decided that compensation with regard to certified cases of killings since 1988 be made as early as possible. For payment of this, the government will spend Rs32 million.
The cabinet also approved a practicable and transparent policy for the compensation cases from now on.
Accordingly, the local governments would survey, certify and report the compensation cases without any delay.
Local authorities would send their recommendations to the home department a week after the occurrence.
The incidents pertaining to the calamities would be processed through the Board of Revenue.
With regard to the burnt buses, it was decided that the valid documents and payment of taxes would also be considered necessary. Compensation would be given only for those buses which are road-worthy and passengers are alighted from them.
The cabinet also emphasized the need of a comprehensive insurance of the vehicles.
Meanwhile, the cabinet also approved a policy for the grant of old compensation cases.
Procedure for the processing of cases for grant of compensation has already been approved by the governor.
The following are the guidelines:
i) District government concerned shall survey, verify and report the cases of compensation immediately and without unnecessary delay.
ii) The EDO (CDD) shall personally verify and attest all compensation cases. Zila Nazim concerned shall satisfy himself/herself about veracity of the claim and forward the cases to the home department with the recommendations within one week of the incident.
iii) Compensation shall be personally handed over to the legal heirs by Zila Nazim/DCO.
iv) Cases of natural disasters will be processed by Board of Revenue.
Guidelines have already been issued to Additional Chief Secretary (Dev), Senior Member, Board of Revenue, all administrative secretaries, IGP, City Nazim and Zila Nazims of the province.
Following points have been added to these guidelines to set a time-limit for such old cases so that the process is streamlined for future:
i) After any incident of terrorist activity where damage/loss of life or property is incurred, the Zila Nazim and concerned district police officer will submit the report within two weeks of such incident covering all details of loss/damages.
ii) Individual cases of compensation, after due processing as per policy for grant of compensation, should be submitted within three months of such incident. If any case is submitted after three months, it must be accompanied with cogent reasons/details of delay, otherwise these will not be entertained.
iii) To clear the previous backlog of all old compensation cases, a time-limit of four months is fixed. The district government may forward all such old cases of compensation, duly processed as per approved procedure to the department concerned for further necessary action.
iv) Any of such cases not submitted within the time will entail appropriate action against concerned defaulting officers.—APP
