KARACHI, Jan 2: The Sindh cabinet which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim here on Monday welcomed revival of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) to resolve inter-provincial issues.

Giving details of the cabinet meeting, Salahuddin Haider, Adviser to the CM on Information, that the members were apprised of the latest situation with regard to the issue of water reservoirs.

The cabinet also gave approval of the procurement of an executive jet aircraft for the governor and chief minister of Sindh. The chief minister told the cabinet that he did not wish to take a decision by himself about the aircraft.

Therefore, he added, he had constituted various committees to review each and every aspect, including technical details of the eight-seater aircraft, being purchased to facilitate the essentially required movement of the governor and chief minister.

The aircraft would cost around Rs750 million and could be used by Balochistan or any other province, the cabinet was told.

The cabinet, taking into account reports of these committees, approved the procurement of the aircraft.

According to the adviser, the jet being purchased holds both European and American certification and is equivalent to a Boeing-777 certification, better than that of the Airbus-A330 and A3340.

The cabinet constituted a committee, comprising minister for excise & taxation, minister for mines and minerals, and advisor on finance, along with secretaries of industries, finance, general administration; and chief pilot to the governor/CM, to seek maximum discount from local agents of the aircraft manufacturers in America.

The cabinet also approved 9,000 acres of land for the Education City project in Deh Chauhar. The land will be utilized only for education and health projects.

Owners of the plots already allotted for other purposes would be provided alternative sites, it was agreed at the meeting.

The cabinet decided that all hospitals, without any distinction, would be liable to pay local and provincial taxes.

It was further decided that the provincial government would have to be necessarily taken on board regarding any international sports event to be held in Karachi or in any part of Sindh.—APP