HYDERABAD: The Supreme Court-appointed judicial commission on water quality and drainage in Sindh on Thursday directed the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) to submit a list of housing schemes and buildings which were erected in the last two years and their approvals.

Retired Justice Amir Hani Muslim, who heads the one-member commission, also bound the SBCA DG to provide details if the buildings had obtained relevant certificates from civic agencies.

The commission also issued notices to Bahria Town and Airport Security Force on an application filed by Jamil Yousuf, a former chief of Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC), and others against the builder stating that the Supreme Court had banned construction beyond six storeys but it was going on without any hindrance at Bahria Town.

The commission ordered issuance of notices to respondents and Sindh advocate general for March 27.

The commission heard Hyderabad Mayor Tayyab Hussain and asked the local government secretary to file comments.

Clifton Cantonment Board vows to clean up solid waste in its jurisdiction

It said that task force chairman Jamal Mustafa Syed in the intervening period shall sit with Hyderabad mayor, Hesco’s chief engineer and Water and Sanitation Agency’s managing director to solve the problems.

“In case there is any issue relating to the local government, its secretary may join the meeting,” the commission said.

The commission also ordered that all financial issues of the Shikarpur municipality will be dealt with by the deputy commissioner from March 22 onwards.

“The DC shall be handed over statements of accounts along with chequebooks and other requisite material by the chairman of the corporation/chief municipal officer (CMO),” it said.

The commission appointed Shikarpur sessions judge as an inquiry officer to look into the allegations levelled against the chairman and CMO and submit a detailed report to it.

“The inquiry shall be completed within two months. Finances shall be controlled and run by the DC till commission’s orders on the inquiry report.”

Larkana Commissioner Abbas Baloch was asked to look after Shikarpur.

He was put on notice that he being a member of the task force by virtue of apex court’s March 16, 2017 order was required to facilitate the commission.

The commission also issued a notice to Shikarpur district hospital’s medical superintendent asking him to improve working on the administrative side.

Ghulam Mohammad Abro, Clifton Cantonment Board’s deputy cantonment executive officer (CEO), informed the commission that the cantonment board would ensure that no solid waste was seen on streets or roads in future.

He was granted four day’s time to ensure that all solid waste was collected and disposed of properly.

“The board should ensure its permanent disposal at landfill sites after three months.

“The board shall designate primary disposal collection centres for public so that people could dispose of waste at designated places. The board shall also increase bins within their area forthwith,” the commission said.

Sindh health secretary Dr Fazlullah Pechuho termed rehabilitation of district headquarters hospitals (DHQs) and taluka headquarters hospitals (THQs) as a dead horse, saying the project failed to deliver.

The Sindh chief secretary stated the monitoring and evaluation cell of the planning and development department could evaluate continuity or discontinuity of projects, therefore, it should be given the task in this regard.

The commission asked the monitoring cell to submit its report within one week and in the intervening period, consultants appointed in these projects should be de-notified as according to the chief secretary, there was no need for them in repair and maintenance works when the nature of the project was rehabilitation.

“The technical committee will exercise powers over all projects of the health department as from now onwards it will procure medicines, instruments etc.”

The National Accountability Bureau chairman was requested to appoint any officer in the technical committee as proposed earlier to ensure transparency.

The Sindh Environmental Protection Agency secretary submitted report about inspection of Kiran sugar mill where violations were found and the officer concerned had lodged a complaint with a judicial magistrate in Rohri. A show-cause notice was issued to the mill management.

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2018

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.