KARACHI, Dec 27: The Sindh cabinet on Thursday decided to delete Section 9(a) of the Civil Servants Act 1973, which pertains to out-of-turn promotions for the civil servants of the province.

At a meeting chaired by the caretaker Sindh Chief Minister, Justice (retd) Abdul Qadir Halepota, this decision was taken after it was noted that the section providing for out-of-turn promotions was creating resentment amongst career officials, prejudicing service discipline and damaging to a great extent the concept of good governance.

The cabinet unanimously decided that the secretary of the Services, General Administration and Coordination department would draft an ordinance to be submitted within a week to delete the relevant section after having it vetted by the law department.

Reviewing the current Rabi water availability situation in the province, the meeting decided that all efforts should be made to efficiently meet growers’ requirements.

The cabinet decided that farmers would be advised to adopt the latest methods of water conservation and that the Department of Irrigation and Power should manage the water supply through the rotation of water channels, promptly attend to complaints of water shortage and ensure the proper supply of water to tail-enders.

The meeting was informed that upon the directives of the caretaker chief minister, adequate supplies were being provided at channel tails and there were consequently no shortage complaints. The caretaker chief minister directed the Department of Irrigation and Power to manage the flow of water in the most judicious manner possible, so that Rabi crops could be brought to maturity throughout the province.

The meeting observed that despite a 22 per cent water shortage during the current Rabi season, about 90 per cent of the wheat cultivation target had been achieved and the balance was likely to be achieved within a week’s time.

The Cabinet took notice of paddy cultivation in the command areas of Rohri canal and the Ghotki feeder, which were cash crop areas and were being damaged by the paddy cultivation. It was decided that through the chief secretary, the area district coordination officers (DCOs) would be directed to take action and stop paddy cultivation in these areas.

Vaccine production lab to be set up

During a presentation by the Health Department, the Cabinet directed that adequate measures should be taken to make available anti-hepatitis, anti-snake bite and anti-rabies vaccines, while as a preventative measure, a campaign should be launched against stray dogs.

The Cabinet directed the Health Department to properly manage and ensure the supply of vaccines throughout the province. The meeting was informed, however, that sufficient quantities of these medicines were available in the province.

It was further decided that the law would be enforced for the use of auto-destruct syringes instead of the normally used disposable syringes for preventing the spread of hepatitis-B and -C, while the initiative would be taken by the Health Department in conjunction with the Prime Minister’s Programme for Hepatitis Control.

The Cabinet decided that a vaccine production laboratory would be established at the Liaquat University of Medical Sciences at Jamshoro, at an estimated cost of Rs200 million.

Taking serious notice of the spread of hepatitis-B and -C in Sindh, which had reached epidemic levels, the Cabinet directed the Health Department to carry out an intensive survey for identifying hepatitis-infected patients and take preventative measures.

It was also decided that the Health Department would prepare a detailed report in terms of the shortage of doctors, paramedical staff and equipment, and this report would be submitted to the Cabinet at its next meeting.

The Cabinet reiterated its resolve to pool and mobilise all resources to ensure free and fair elections in the province. — APP