KARACHI: Cabinet turns down US request for Clifton plot: AKU board okayed
By Habib Khan Ghori
KARACHI, March 11: The Sindh cabinet in its meeting on Friday gave approval to the Aga Khan University Examination Board allowing it to conduct examinations at SSC and HSC levels. It also decided not to allot the plot next to the Grammar School for the US consulate building.
The meeting, presided over by Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, also took decisions on developing the National Sports Complex on M. A. Jinnah Road, land requirement for education city project, new wheat policy and amendment to the Cotton Control Act.
Briefing journalists on the cabinet meeting and its decisions, Information Secretary Ms Mehtab Akbar Rashdi said that the cabinet gave approval to the Aga Board’s request for conducting examinations at SSC and HSC level and grant its affiliation to private schools and colleges.
However, the board would not be entitled for bringing about any change in the curriculum.
She quoted the chief minister as telling the cabinet that the US Consulate in Karachi had been advised to identify some other plot for the construction of a consulate building because the plot adjacent to the Grammar School could not be allotted for the purpose in view of the reservations expressed by the people of the area.
She said that before formally taking up the agenda at the meeting, the chief minister spoke at length about his priorities, as well as on some other issues.
In this context, Dr Arbab maintained that the issue of the plot, adjacent to Grammar School in Clifton area requested to be allotted for US consulate, had figured in public protest.
He told the meeting that respecting the public opinion, the consulate had been advised to identify some other plot. “If the (other) plot identified by the consulate belonged to the federal government, then the matter will be taken up with the federal authorities. Otherwise, the Sindh government will consider its allotment for the consulate building.”
Making it clear that the US consulate would not be established in this area against the wishes of people, he said the Sindh government would not act in a manner which might cause inconvenience to people and add to their problems.
The cabinet also approved the offer made by a Qatar firm, M/s City Trading and Contracting, for developing the National Sports Complex on a plot located on M. A. Jinnah Road. It had been proposed that 40 per cent of the plot would be utilized for commercial purposes and the revenues generated so would be utilized in developing the remaining 60 per cent area of the plot as a sports complex having facilities of indoor games, hostel, car-parking, etc.
Another decision taken by the cabinet pertained to the grant of degree- awarding status (charter) to the Pakistan Institute of Management.
It also set up a four-member committee to review the requirement of land for the proposed education and health city on both sides of the road linking Super Highway and National Highway.
The committee, headed by Senior Finance Minister Syed Sardar Ahmad, will submit its report with in a month. It was pointed out at the meeting that according to an earlier decision, the area of the proposed education and health city was spread over four dehs covering some 24,000 acres, including some private lands and graveyards.
The cabinet also approved its new wheat policy 2005 under which 500,000 tons of wheat would be procured.
It was decided that wheat would be procured only from growers and not from the open market as it could be disadvantageous to growers. The cabinet waived the delivery charges and the condition of showing of ‘form survey-A’ by the growers who would offer their wheat.
It was also decided that wheat would be purchased from PASCO only when the corporation would store the same in Sindh and supply the same on time only from here.
It decided to amend the Cotton Control Act 1966 to provide for mandatory marking of cotton grade and staple on each cotton bale by ginners.
The amendment was proposed by the Cotton Standards Board to ensure that international grading standards were applied on cotton bales which come out of ginneries.
The information secretary said that the cabinet gave approval to the appointment of a firm as consultant for the Hyderabad Development Package.
Responding to a question, Ms Rashdi said that the cabinet was given a briefing on a strategy with regard to the NFC Award. She, however, stated that details of the strategy were not for the consumption of press.
In reply to another question, she said that the situation arising out of the recent sacking of revenue minister Imtiaz Ahmad Shaikh, as well as the issues related to law and order and price-hike, did not figure in the meeting as no member of the cabinet raised these issues.
Earlier, in his opening remarks, the chief minister gave his policy guidelines and pointed out that the government had attained success in controlling terrorism. He, however, stressed the need for team spirit in order to bring about an improvement in social sector, education, health, irrigation, and law and order. He asked the cabinet colleagues to visit all districts along with their teams to acquaint themselves of ground realities and decide priorities accordingly.
He directed all departments to prepare uplift schemes on war-footings so that the same could be initiated before the end of the financial year. He said he himself would visit interior areas of the province quite frequently to assess the pace of development works.
The chief minister said the objective of good governance could only be achieved if all available resources were utilized in solving the problems being faced by people.
The chief minister referred to the prudent utilization of development funds and asked the ministers and their secretaries to work cautiously to ensure that funds were not misappropriated, even if there was a shortage of funds.
Irrigation Minister Nadir Akmal Leghari said that by the end of the current year, a ‘world water conference’ would be organized with an aim of making people understand the issues related to water.
Education Minister Dr Hameeda Khuhro said that her department had taken many steps to bring about improvement in the education sector.
The issue of gutka, sweet supari, etc., was also on the agenda but could not be deliberated upon as the minister concerned could not turn up at the meeting. A discussion on the issue was, therefore, put off to the next cabinet meeting.
