KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly will have thorough discussion about the issue of water crisis in the province when it reassembles after two days on Monday.

This was decided by the assembly on Friday when Senior Parliamentary Affairs Minister Nisar Ahmad Khuhro, after completion of the order of the day, sought permission from Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani to table a motion in that regard.

Earlier, the adjournment motion of PTI’s Khurram Sherzaman about provision of clean drinking water in the province was declared non-maintainable on technical grounds and ruled out of order.

Mr Sherzaman in his motion had said the province was facing a water crisis and the report of the Supreme Court’s commission had said that more than 75 per cent people in Sindh drank unsafe water.

He said unavailability of clean drinking water was resulting in spread of diseases like diarrhoea, pneumonia and cancer.

‘Sindhi is yet to be included in the syllabus of schools associated with the Cambridge education system’

Mr Khuro said a detailed discussion about Sindh’s water problems was necessary as the province was facing a shortage of potable water, receiving polluted water from Punjab and its delta was being destroyed by the unavailability of water downstream at Kotri.

When Kamran Akhtar of the MQM drew the attention of the house towards failure of the Sindh Public Service Commission to conduct exams regularly, Mr Khuhro said it was not fair to accuse the SPSC of not conducting the exams and recalled that 5,700 doctors had recently been tested and appointed by the commission.

He further said the issue of the appointment of section officers and assistant commissioners was sub judice, therefore, the commission could not do anything.

When Naheed Begum of the MQM wanted feedback from Mr Khuhro about the youth policy draft submitted by Faisal Sabzwari in 2012, the latter informed the house that the final draft of the policy was submitted to the chief minister on Oct 18 of the last year for approval which would hopefully be approved soon.

On the question of PPP’s Syed Awais that Sindhi was not being taught is schools, Education Minister Jam Mehtab Dahar said the private schools which were affiliated with government boards were teaching Sindhi as a compulsory subject.

“However, Sindhi is yet to be included in the syllabus of schools associated with the Cambridge education system.

“We are in contact with these schools and soon Sindhi will also be taught there.”

Replying to the notice of Nusrat Sahar Abbasi of the PML-F about refusal of admission to girl students in the Marvi hostel by the university administration, which was a cause of concern for parents, Education Minister Mehtab Dahar said accommodation was awarded on the principle of first come first served basis according to the vice chancellor as there was limited capacity in the hostel.

“Now, no more admissions are possible because there are already three to four girls living in hostel rooms which were meant for two.

“However, efforts are being made to provide accommodation to maximum number of girl students,” he added.

Before rising for the day, the audit report of forest department was laid which was referred to Sindh Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee to report back with its recommendation.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2018