KARACHI: Sindh offers 3,000 acres to Qatar for cattle farming: Cabinet meeting
By Habib Khan Ghori
KARACHI, April 17: The Sindh government has welcomed an offer of the Qatar government for investment in cattle farming and decided to provide 3,000 acres for the project.
This was decided at a Sindh Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim at the New Sindh Secretariat on Tuesday afternoon.
Briefing newsmen on the decisions taken by the cabinet, the chief minister said the government had decided to give 3,000 acres of Bani Ser cattle farm areas. He said the government had decided to provide the land on a 30-year lease to many entrepreneurs, in Thatta and Keenjher areas for cattle farming in the past, but as they failed to utilise the land their lease was cancelled.
In reply to a question, he said the Qatar government had asked for 10,000 acres for cattle farming. He said the Qatar government had also shown interest in setting up a cement factory and a hotel. According to the proposal, the Qatar government would establish a modern hotel on Sharea Faisal near the KWSB offices. However, he made it clear that the land for the hotel project would be offered only after the approval of a security committee in accordance with the government policy.
The chief minister told newsmen that the decision on the letter of the Government Reforms Commission, headed by Dr Ishrat Hussain, was deferred in the cabinet meeting, as the commission had asked for adoption of a blanket resolution from the Sindh Assembly to implement the reforms in Sindh.
He said it was beyond his comprehension that when everyone was talking about provincial autonomy, how could any provincial assembly give such blanket authority. The cabinet had suggested the commission to send its recommendations on reforms so that the government could take a decision on its implementation.
In reply to a question, he said the commission had given a presentation in his presence to the federal cabinet which objected to many of its recommendations. He said the recommendations of the commission were not binding on the assembly.
The cabinet also gave approval to the Sugar Factories Act 1950 amendment bill for eliminating the role of middle men in sale or purchase of sugarcane and contravention of the act was made punishable with imprisonment of up to two years or a fine which may extend to two million rupees or both.
Recalling the necessity of amendments to the Sugar Factories Control Act 1950, the chief minister pointed out that there were complaints that sugar factory managements were neither starting the crushing season on time nor growers were paid proper payment of the cane. Now contravening of the provisions of the act was made punishable, he said.
Under the proposed amendment, no person other than the cane grower shall sell or supply cane to the factory and all purchases shall be made directly from the grower.
The government would establish a board which would give recommendations to fix the minimum rate of the cane. The board would comprise the Secretary Agriculture, Cane Commissioner, representatives of the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association, Sindh Abadgar Board, Chamber of Agriculture, Sugarcane Growers Association, and government nominees. The factory management shall pay quality premium at the end of the crushing season at such rates as may be determined by the government in proportion of sucrose recovery. The payment to grower shall be made through cheques within 15 days of the cane supply, otherwise a mark-up rate fixed by the government shall also be paid to the grower in addition to the principal amount.
Offence under this act shall be cognizable and compoundable. However, no police official shall take cognizance of the offence except upon a complaint in writing made by or under the authority of the cane commissioner.
Besides, the cabinet decided to start wheat procurement from February 15 next year. It was also decided that feasibility of silos would be prepared for developing wheat storage capacity in each district.
