Sindh cabinet approves Rs10bn for people displaced along three drains

The Sindh cabinet on Thursday approved Rs10 billion for the resettlement of the persons affected by anti-encroachment operations along three storm water drains in Karachi, Rs12.72 billion for the construction of the Hub Canal and Rs200 million for the Jamila Pumping station overhaul.

The cabinet also approved establishment of the Sindh Electric Power Regulatory Authority, allotment of land for a railway line from Thar Coal Field to Chhor, allotment of land for solar parks and initiation of the People's Information Technology Programme for Youth.

The cabinet meeting was presided by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah at the CM House and attended by provincial ministers, advisers, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Principal Secretary to CM Agha Wasif and other relevant officers.

Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani told the cabinet that there were 6,932 affected persons of the anti-encroachment drives along the Gujjar, Mahmoodabad, and Orangi drains who needed to be resettled.

He added that the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) had submitted its proposals for the resettlement project, in which it evaluated the per-house cost at Rs1,450,000. In addition to this, the PEC also advised providing funds for construction work to the affected persons as per the following schedule: Rs500,000 on commencement of work, Rs500,000 on completion of masonry work up to the roof level and Rs450,000 on completion of the grey structure for finishing work.

The cabinet approved Rs10.065 billion as a grant-in-aid for the construction of 80-square-yard houses for the affected families. The Sindh government has allotted a 258 acres in Taiser Town Scheme 45 for the development of a housing scheme for the 6,932 affectees of the three drains.

Water and sewerage

The cabinet was told that the Karachi Water & Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) would undertake rehabilitation of the existing Hub Canal and construction of a new canal supplying 100 million gallons of water per day (MGD) parallel to the existing one for Rs9.80 billion and Rs2.92 billion respectively through a government-to-government arrangement.

The CM said that the project was most important to provide water to the city. Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab and Ghani said that the fastest mode of execution for the project could be an undertaken by obtaining a grant in aid from the Sindh government.

To this, the CM said that he would provide a grant-in-aid of Rs12.72 billion to the KWSC if the project was completed by September 2025. The mayor assured the CM of timely completion of the project, after which the CM approved the grant of Rs12.72 billion.

The cabinet was told that the Jamila Sewerage Pumping Station in Karachi was constructed in 1880, catering to limited population at that time. However, now it took a heavy load of sewerage coming from the Old City Area and two-thirds of Lyari Town taking up a load of up to 20 MGD.

It was said that the entire infrastructure along with the electrical equipment were to be constructed afresh to provide long-term relief to the residents of Old City Area and Lyari Town. The cabinet approved Rs200 million for emergency rectification works at the Jamila Pumping Station.

Power authority

The Sindh cabinet under the Sindh Regulation of Electric Power Services Act, (SREPS) 2023 approved establishment of the Sindh Electric Power Regulatory Authority (SEPRA) that shall comprise a chairman and three members.

The cabinet also approved Rs197.916 million for setting up the SEPRA. The CM directed Energy Minister Nasir Shah to appoint the SEPRA chairman and its members as per

the law.

Other decisions

The energy department requested the cabinet that the Pakistan Railways had asked for an allotment of 1,381.34 acres of land in Mirpurkhas Division and 30 acres in Karachi Division for laying a 105-kilometre railway line the Thar Coal Field in Islamkot to Chhor.

The CM directed the energy minister to coordinate with the Pakistan Railways so that work on the project could be started at the earliest. The cabinet also allotted 40 acres of land in District Korangi for the establishment of the Sindh Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases.

The meeting also allocated land in various locations of the province for establishing solar parks under the Sindh Solar Energy Project with the financial and technical support of the World Bank.

The CM said a new initiative of the Peoples Information Technology Program (PITP) would be launched for enhancing the IT skills of students and professionals across the province as part of poverty reduction strategy. “This programme will provide practical skills and industry-recognised certifications to stand out in a competitive job market,” said the CM.

The PITP would be initiated in Tharparkar district by the NED University, Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas division except Tharparkar by the Mehran University and the Sukkur Institute of Business Administration in Shaheed Benazirabad, Sukkur and Larkana. The cabinet approved the initiative and urged the universities to start the PITP immediately.