KARACHI: The Sindh cabinet on Thursday approved seven important bills for presentation in the Sindh Assembly, including the Sindh Occupational Safety and Health Bill 2017 so that incidents like Baldia factory fire could be prevented.

Besides the draft bills the cabinet also gave permission for exploration and production of oil and gas in Thar Wildlife Sanctuary and constituted a committee to revisit the NAB Law (Amendment in Sindh section).

The four-hour-long cabinet meeting was presided over by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah at CM House.

The six other bills pertained to the Sindh Safe Blood Transfusion Act 2017; the Establishment of Sindh Institute of Traumatology, Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation (SITOR) Karachi; the Sindh Press, Newspapers, News Agency and Books Registration Act 2017; the Amendment in Section 144 of Code of Criminal Procedure 1889; the Sindh Livestock Registration and Trade Authority Bill 2017; and the Sindh Institute of Animal Health Bill, 2017.

The labour department presented the Sindh Occupational Safety and Health Bill 2015. The labour department said the Sindh government had signed Joint Action Plan for promoting workplace safety and health. The employer federation and ILO, Islamabad are co-signatories.

The chief minister said it was an old bill prepared in 2015, but the labour department failed to present it for the approval of the cabinet. In principle it should have been approved and passed just after the incident of the Baldia factory.

The information department presented the Sindh Press, Newspapers, News Agencies and Books Registration Act.

The department said that consequent upon abolition of Concurrent List in Constitution the subject of press stood devolved.

The department proposed that the four features namely, Functioning of Audit Bureau of Circulation; Fixation of Rates for the Newspapers, Formulation of Media List and change of name/title have also been incorporated in the proposed law. The cabinet approved the bill.

The livestock department presented the Livestock Registration and Trade Authority Bill and the Sindh Institute of Animal Health Bill. The department said there was no system for livestock registration, tagging, identification and development of livestock products in place.

The department also suggested upgrading the existing Sindh Poultry Vaccine Centre, Karachi through Sindh Institute of Animals Bill 2017.

After discussion the cabinet approved the bills.

The forest department presented a request for grant of permission for exploration and production of oil and gas in Thar Wildlife Sanctuary.

The cabinet gave the permission and directed the department to take necessary measures for protection of wildlife.

The health department presented a draft act for establishment of SITOR. It said the establishment of SITOR for management of increasing number of road accident victims and to provide treatment to victims of orthopaedic problems and trauma under one roof was most important.

The cabinet was told that the institute would be a degree-awarding authority. Apart from treatment it would impart special training to deal with accident and trauma cases. The cabinet approved the draft law.

The health department also presented another draft bill, Promulgation of Sindh Safe Blood Transfusion Act, which was approved.

The chief minister told the cabinet that on the directive of the party leadership the NAB law was being taken up here for revisiting (amendment in Sindh Section).

A committee was constituted to revisit the law and give its recommendation within next 60 days.

CM writes to PM to convene NFC meeting

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Shah has said that he wrote a letter to the prime minister requesting him to convene the meeting of National Finance Commission at the earliest.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2017