KARACHI: The Sindh cabinet on Tuesday fixed the minimum procurement price of Rs1,300 per 40 kilograms for the new wheat crop and asked the federal government to lift 700,000 tonnes from the province arguing that Sindh had suffered a huge loss on account of its (federal government’s) flawed policy allowing import of wheat from Ukraine.

The meeting, presided over by Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah at the CM House, gave approval to the new wheat procurement policy and set an initial procurement target of 900,000 tonnes.

It noted with concern that the federal government had allowed import of 700,000 tonnes of wheat from Ukraine without consulting Sindh, which possessed a huge stock of the commodity lying in the food department silos.

Food Secretary Saeed Awan informed the meeting that the imported wheat was sold in Karachi and, therefore, the food department received no demand for the local produce.

He said that the federal government had promised to get 400,000 tonnes of wheat produced in Sindh exported against a rebate of $45 per tonne. The chief minister observed that this would not cover a loss of Rs9 billion suffered by Sindh due to the marketing of the Ukranian wheat.

“The federal government will have to compensate the loss,” he said.Briefing the cabinet about law and order, Sindh Inspector-General of Police Ghulam Hyder Jamali said a significant decline in the incidents of targeted killings was recorded this year in Karachi and other crimes in the province.

The chief minister also directed the food department to make necessary arrangements for the export 400,000 tonnes of wheat as decided by the federal cabinet’s Economic Coordination Committee (ECC).

The Sindh cabinet constituted a five-member subcommittee comprising Finance Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Health Minister Jam Mehtab Dahar, Excise & Taxation Minister Gianchand Israni, Transport Minister Mumtaz Jakhrani and Agriculture Minister Ali Nawaz Mahar to dispose of at the earliest the wheat stocks lying in the food department silos.

While discussing the provincial government’s policy on home-based workers, the cabinet constituted a committee comprising Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Sikander Mndhro (chairman), Rubina Qaimkhani, Jam Khan Shoro, Sharmila Farooqi and Asghar Junejo to evolve a mechanism to bring home-based workers under the social security net.

Citing the Rangers-led targeted operation in Karachi, the IGP said that a total of 2,857 persons were killed during 2013 and the number came down to 1,775 in 2014. In the cases of targeted killings, the number of victims declined by 897, as compared to the previous year’s toll.

The cabinet was informed that the number of extortion cases also declined from 539 in 2013 to 434 last year. The IGP said that 41 cases of terrorism had been reported in 2013 and the number stood at 26 in the following year.

Appreciating the results, the chief minister asked the IGP to find clues to the culprits of the Imambargah carnage and Hajan Shah bomb blast cases in Shikarpur at the earliest.

Senior Minister for Education and Literacy Nisar Ahmed Khuhro briefed the cabinet about the establishment of the National Curriculum Council by the federal government, and said the development came after the provincial department had already worked out a revised curriculum and made necessary legislation.

“Now the federal wants a uniform curriculum throughout the country,” he said.

The CM also directed him to ensure safety and security of the Hindu community and their religious places across the province.

Finance Minister Mr Murad Ali Shah, who also hold the portfolio of energy, presented the provincial power policy to the cabinet and said it encouraged the power companies producing 5 to 30 megawatts. The cabinet gave its approval to the policy.

A couple of ministers were of the view that good ideas for the secondary school level curriculum should be welcomed although as far as a policy decision was concerned education was now a provincial subject.

Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2015

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