February 26, 2003	Wednesday	Zul Hijjah 24, 1423

KARACHI, Feb 25: The Sindh Assembly on Tuesday adopted four identical resolutions which pertained to the damage caused by recent rains in the province.

On the private members’ day, Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Qamar Mansoor called for the setting up of a committee to evaluate the damage by the rains and announcement of a relief package for the victims.

Mohammad Idress Siddiqui demanded that the vast affected areas of the province, where agriculture had already be hit by four consecutive years of draught, be declared as calamity-hit areas. He also urged the government to announce a relief packge.

Abdus Sattar Ansari took up the issue of acute water shortage and demanded postponement of the recovery of Agricultural Development Bank loans by another year. His resolution was adopted after amendments proposed by the PPP’s Haji Munawar Abbasi and the Senior Minister, Syed Sardar Ahmad.

Aslam Pervez Kahn’s resolution also pertained to the damage caused by recent rains.

The Minister for Local Governments, Mohammad Hussain, while speaking on the resolutions, said that a new kind of debate had been initiated in the context of relations between provincial and the local governments. He referred to the provincial government functionaries’ visit to the rain-affected areas of Hyderabad, Latifabad and Qasimabad and setting up of a relief camp at Gaddap by the Nazim.

Mr Hussain was critical of the district government in Hyderabad, which is headed by a PPP-backed Nazim, and claimed that none of its functionaries was seen working and no emergency centre set up.

He suggested that the proposed committee should also investigate the expenses incurred by the district governments from the funds provided to them for various development schemes.

Maintaining the party-line, which is opposed to the present district governments setup, he also proposed that an accountability committee should be constituted for the purpose.

Senior Minister Syed Sardar Ahmad said that the damage caused by the rains was substantial. The committee which was being formed to evaluate extent of the damage would include members of the House and that the relief package would be prepared in the light of the committee’s report.

Arbab Ghulam Rahim said that rains brought some relief to the desert areas of the province though it caused heavy losses in Hyderabad, Karachi and Gaddap. He said parts of Shikarpur were marooned as the concerned Nazims had not visited the affected areas.

He was supportive of the local government system but stressed the need for check and balance.

The Education Minister, Irfanullah Marwat, said rains had affected the whole province and a viable package would be announced for the affected areas.

Haji Munawwar Abbasi of PPP demanded that loans and taxes of the rain affected people should be waived off. Qamar Mansoor of MQM also supported the idea of the damage assessment by the provincial government’s committee and a relief package for the victims.

Sassi Palejo of PPP was of the view that the government was using the proposed relief package to make political gains. She pointed out that many of the ministers did not bother to visit the affected areas despite having made claims. Nasreen Chandio also lamented the miseries in rain-hit areas.

The House was told by the members that despite the Chief Minister’s directive to provide relief to the affected people, no measure had been taken to act accordingly.

Abdur Rahman Rajput of MMA was critical of the claims by certain provincial ministers who, he alleged, had done nothing but just issuing press statements.

Mr Hameedullah of MMA warned that the alliance would pose stiff resistance if the Centre resorted to interference in the provincial affairs. The MMA, he added, also stood against provincial government’s attempt to scuttle district governments.

Ayaz Soomro, Abdullah Murad and several other members also spoke.

A resolution moved by Nasreen Chandio, was carried over till the report of the privileges committee on whether the breach of privilege had occurred.

The resolution pertained to the statement by Hamid Malahi, Coordinator of the Water Council Punjab, as published in daily Kawish of January 26 with regard to the question of Kalabagh dam project.

Earlier, Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah allowed the opposition leader’s adjournment motion out of turn to discuss the provincial government’s alleged failure in persuading the federal government to stop work on Thal canal project, which is seen as detrimental to Sindh’s interest.

The requisitioned session was chaired by Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah during which considerable time was wasted initially due to its late start and later owing to the non-serious attitude of both the sides.

The matter would be debated on Wednesday and also possibly on Thursday.

When the Speaker asked the Leader of the Opposition, Nisar Khuhro, to move his adjournment motion on the supply of contaminated drinking water, Mr Khuhro pleaded for taking up his motion on Thal canal out of turn.

After an exchange of arguments, the matter was put to the House which favoured Mr Khuhro’s stand.

Syed Murad Ali Shah’s bill to amend the Sindh Fisheries Ordinance 1980, was opposed by the law minister on the premise that it was akin to the money bill and could not be moved without the government’s consent.

In this session, the opposition could not demonstrate a concerted spree because some of its graduate members behaved irresponsibly only to spoil their own show. One such example was Tariq Masood Arain’s sit-in on the floor of the House to protest the provincial government’s failure in taking care of the overflowing gutters in Nawabshah. His act cost the opposition a loss of one whole hour and an opportunity to discuss serious matters for which it had requisitioned the session.

Nisar Khuhro was visibly perturbed over Mr Arain’s adventurism, which seemed totally uncalled for. It provided the Speaker an excuse to adjourn the session for 15 minutes. The session went into suspended animation for 45 minutes.