KARACHI: The Sindh cabinet on Wednesday approved the recommendations of the education department and reduced the passing marks criteria for the failed candidates appeared in tests for vacancies of primary school teachers (PSTs) and junior elementary school teachers (JESTs).

The meeting of the provincial cabinet was presided over by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah here.

It was informed that the school education department had announced 23,510 vacancies for PSTs and 14,039 of JEST against which 184,209 and 164,319 candidates appeared for PST and JEST, respectively. Of them, 11,549 qualified the test for PST and 1,385 for JEST, respectively.

The cabinet discussed the situation and decided to waive the condition of 45 per cent marks in all subjects and 50pc marks were approved for minorities and girls and 33pc for hard areas and differently abled persons to qualify the test.

The chief minister said: “In this way the vacancies would be filled to run the schools, which are facing dearth of teachers.”

Pakistan Navy gets land in Keamari for launching housing society

He added the leftover candidates, who had qualified the test under the newly approved criteria but could not be appointed due to non-availability of vacancies, would be placed on waiting list for one year.

Health management cadre

The health department proposed establishment of a Health Management Cadre (HMC) of doctors, who qualified with MPhil, to be posted on administrative posts, after making necessary amendments in the recruitment rules.

The proposed amendment in the recruitment rules of doctors of BS-18, BS-19 and BS-20, including enhancement of eligibility criteria/qualification and method of appointment for doctors on administrative positions under HMC.

Under the new arrangement, 60pc doctors would be appointed on HMC by promotion from BS-17 having at least five-year service in grade BS-17 and 10pc amongst BS-18 senior medical officers and 30pc by initial appointment through the Sindh Public Service Commission.

The cabinet after thorough consideration approved the amendment in the rules and the proposal of establishing HMC in the health department.

The provincial cabinet on the recommendation of the health department approved handing over of eight health facilities to PPHI in Larkana district. They include three taluka hospitals of Arija, Ratodero and Dokri. 50-bedded hospital Garhi Khuda Bux, 100-bedded hospital Naudero, three Rural health Centres (RHCs) of Badah, Bangul Dero and Garello.

The cabinet also constituted a committee comprising Energy Minister Imtiaz Shaikh, CM’s Law Adviser Murtaza Wahab and other sto restructure/reconstitute Board of Governors of PPHI as per the Public Sector Companies Rules 2013 and remove anomalies, if any.

200 acres given to PN

The cabinet approved allotment of 200 acres from N.C No.255 of Deh Lal Bakhar, Keamari on 99-year lease to Pakistan Navy for residential purpose — the Navy Cooperative Housing Society.

The cabinet also approved to transfer 433.25 acres stretching over 36 kilometres from Vajihar to Thar Block-II to Sindh Engro Coal Mine Company (SECMC) for laying pipe for water supply scheme.

The cabinet approved the Provincial Assembly of Sindh Secretariat Services Bill, 2021 just to regulate the recruitment and the conditions of the services of persons appointed in the Secretariat of the Sindh Assembly. The cabinet referred the bill to the provincial assembly for discussion and approval.

Plan to activate CSUs

The cabinet was told that a Crime Scene Unit (CSU) was being established. The crime scene investigation primarily deals with the identification, collection, proper packing, transport and analysis of evidence material.

The government worked out a plan to establish CSU in 31 police districts of the province for which Rs194.4 million had allocated.

At present, 10 CSUs are working in Karachi but they are not properly functional due to non-availability of the designated vehicles.

The cabinet approved the plan to functionalise eight units in Karachi range and 23 in districts of the rest of the province. The units would be established in SSP offices. The cabinet also approved procurement of designated vehicles for all the 31 units for Rs177.281m.

The cabinet was told that the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Unit was working successfully and it had already completed several projects. They include Hyderabad-Mirpurkhas dual carriageway, Sir Aga Khan Jhirk-Mullakatiar bridge on the Indus, Karachi-Thatta dual carriageway.

It was pointed out that work on the Ghotki-Kandhkot bridge was in progress. The two-km-long bridge project had been launched with an estimated cost of Rs14bn and would be completed in July 2023.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2021