KARACHI: Retired govt employees get property tax exemption
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, April 2: The Sindh government on Wednesday decided to regularize the services of 706 ad hoc doctors serving on contract basis for the last 10 to 12 years.
A bill is likely to be moved in the Sindh Assembly shortly.
This was decided at a meeting of the Sindh Cabinet, presided over by Sindh chief minister Ali Mohammad Mahar.
The cabinet also took some other important policy decisions, including enhancement of exemption limit of property tax from Rs10,000 to Rs24,000 and inclusion of retired government employees in the category of exempted groups.
The cabinet also set up a committee to remove anomalies regrading transfers and postings of officials of the city district government as, presently, there is a confusion over exercising of authority by the Nazim, the DCO and the provincial government.
The committee, to be coordinated by the local government minister, Mohammad Hussain, has been asked to furnish its report in the next cabinet meeting.
Briefing newsmen after the cabinet meeting, which lasted for about five hours, information secretary Mahtab Akbar Rashdi said that the cabinet was briefed on the progress of law and order situation in the wake of Kashmore incident by the home minister, Syed Sardar Ahmad, and the home secretary and the IGP were in Kashmore to asses the situation on the spot.
She said that the home minister informed that as a result of extreme steps taken to bring the culprits to book and stabilize the situation, so far eight kidnapped persons have been recovered and injured persons were being looked after properly.
The home minister recalled that the chief minister had already had announced payment of compensation to the deceased and the injured.
Chief Secretary KB Rind informed that 10 platoons had already been deployed and the Frontier Constabulary had also been engaged, and a marked improvement had been witnessed in the over-all law and order situation in the province.
The cabinet, in principle, approved the conversion of agriculture land for setting up an industry and decided to grant lease for 99 years instead of 33 years by amending the relevant law.
Reviewing the wheat policy, the cabinet recommended disposal of 75,000 tones of wheat from old stocks lying in the godowns through open bids.
The cabinet allowed amendment in the Sindh Urban Immovable Property Tax Act-1958 for relaxation in property tax from rental value of Rs 10,000 per annum to Rs 24,000 per annum to widows, disabled persons, minor orphans and also included the retired government functionaries in the category, and the decision would be effective from July 1.
Other decisions taken by the cabinet included revival of the directorate for women earlier merged with the social welfare department in the devolution.
The meeting decided that the SASO employees, numbering 729, would not be sent to the surplus pool to make them a liability but they would be offered golden handshake.
However, those facing inquiries for corruption charges would not be offered golden handshake and after completion of inquiries, if found guilty, the money would be recovered from them.
The cabinet also approved an advertisement policy for 2003 that envisages 50 per cent enhancement of funds for release of government advertisements to at least six newspapers instead of three.
Moreover, the finance department would ensure that the funds earmarked for development works proposed by elected representatives do not lapse and are carried over the next fiscal year.
The cabinet also constituted a committee consisting ministers for agriculture, industries, advisor on finance, ACS finance and secretary agriculture to look into the issue of sugar mills and procurement of sugarcane etc.
The matter regarding privatization of Khatoon-e-Pakistan school and Mahmoodabad primary & lower secondary school, Karachi also came up. However, the meeting constituted a committee to examine the matter and formulate the recommendations.
The matter pertaining to sealed bids for privatization of government assets was deferred as it was noted that the provincial privatization commission currently had no chairman.
The matter relating to fake admissions in medical colleges was also deferred.
