KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly was informed on Monday that 213 acres of land would be reclaimed from the Malir riverbed and it would not affect the natural flow of the storm drain.The reclaimed land, near Defence Housing Authority lands, could be utilised for residential and industrial purposes, said Sindh Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Sikander Mandhro.

He said that the National Institute of Oceanography, Nespak and the Irrigation Research Institute of Nandipur — after undertaking historical, physical and hydrological studies on the storm drain — had recommended that the reclaimed land could be utilised for residential and industrial and commercial purposes after the construction of the embankment along the Malir River.

The minister said that the government had invited tenders for the construction of the embankment and received 10 tenders in response. The lowest bid of Rs2.689 billion by a local company, which was building the Rohri Canal embankment, was accepted, he said. However, work had not been given to the company so far because a report of environmental impact assessment was awaited, he added.

He was responding to a call attention notice given by Pakistan Muslim League-Functional Nusrat Sehar Abbasi asking if the irrigation department had given Rs100 billion contract to demarcate land on the Malir River to a defaulter company without the environment assessment. Opposing the plan, she said the land of the natural storm drain and riverbed should not be used for residential and commercial purposes. The plan to reduce the Malir riverbed was dangerous because the entire locality would be inundated in case of floods.

The call attention notice of PML-N lawmaker Sorath Thebo could not be taken up due to her absence. She had asked the revenue minister of the rate of cost of land for the allotment of government land to Bahria Town.The parliamentary affairs minister informed the house that the leaders of the treasury and opposition had decided to defer consideration of the Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2015 and the introduction of Sindh Insurance of Public Property Bill 2015 till Tuesday which was a private members day.

In response to the call attention notice of MQM lawmaker Engineer Sabir Hussain Kaimkhani, Finance Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah informed the house that Rs2.3 billion had been allocated during the past three years for development of highways, roads and buildings in Hyderabad division.

Replying to the call attention notice of MQM legislator Aisha Khatoon, Senior Education Minister Nisar Khuhro said the 12 schools which had not been functional in Khairpur for want of teachers were made functional.

Another MQM lawmaker Jamal Ahmad asked about ‘illegal motorcycle bazaar’ on Sundays in Haideri. Local Government Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon informed the house that the KMC suggested shifting the bazaar to another location after giving them a formal permission as per rules.

Referring to the Nooriabad tragedy in which 12 people lost their lives and many others were injured, MQM lawmaker Saifuddin Khalid highlighted the need for checking use of substandard cylinders for CNG gas in public transport. Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani suggested that such vehicles immediately be impounded. Some members pointed out that oxygen cylinders were being used for CNG gas. Works and services minister Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani said the federal and provincial governments ought to take urgent measures to ban such public transport vehicles.

Referring to the issue of unavailability of hepatitis vaccine raised by PPP lawmaker Mujtaba Asran, Health Minister Dr Mehtab Dahar requested all the lawmakers to make an appeal to the Sindh High Court chief justice for an early decision on the case of medicine purchase.

In reply to a point of order raised by Nusrat Sehar Abbasi about protest by people against transfer of a police officer who restored peace to Khairpur, Prisons Minister Manzoor Wasan said the SP was posted by the government but people had reservations over law and order in Nara Taluka where excesses were being committed against PPP workers who were being pressured to settle all such issues at the Mazar of Pir Pagara in Pir-Jo-Goth. He said it seemed as if there was collusion between the PML-F and the police. Rising from their seats, PML-F lawmakers lodged strong protest against the allegation against their party and mention of Pir Pagara’s name by the minister.

Before the house, which was called to order at 10.45am and adjourned at 1.50pm by Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon appealed to all political parties and lawmakers across the floor to cooperate with the government in the “Clean, green and peaceful Sindh” drive that was launched on Monday.

Earlier, MQM deputy parliamentary leader Khwaja Izharul Hassan said the party decided to extend full cooperation in the campaign.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2015

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