Data on Sindh’s minority worship places to be gathered in a month

Sindh’s minority affairs minister has ordered a province-wide survey of the places of worship of religious minorities, the data of which is to be compiled within a month.

Hari Ram Kishori Lal, who also holds the social welfare and prisons portfolios, issued the order to the minority affairs secretary during a meeting of his department on Thursday.

The minister said that some sort of mechanism should also be developed for the registration of Hindu temples, Christian churches, Sikh gurdwaras, Parsi agiaries and Ahmadi worship places with the minority affairs department.  

Evacuee properties

Lal said that evacuee properties have become a provincial subject under the 18th amendment to the country’s constitution, but despite the passage of eight years, the handing over of evacuee trust properties to the provinces is yet to be completed.

He expressed hope that the new federal government would demonstrate seriousness in this regard and complete the devolution plan regarding evacuee trust properties in true spirit. He said legislation would soon be introduced in the Sindh Assembly to set up the province’s own evacuee trust board.  

Department performance

The minister said he wants to improve the performance of the minority affairs department, for which he would make all the regional directorates completely functional.

He also plans to set up public grievances redressal desks across the province at divisional level to safeguard and promote the rights of religious minorities.

He said he has received complaints regarding the closure of regional offices and public grievances desks of the department despite the fact that officers and lower staff were posted there and drawing their salaries every month.

“I shall not tolerate this! I am giving you all 15 days to make all arms and wings of the minority affairs department functional,” he warned his department’s officials. He directed the department’s regional heads to achieve this task, saying that he would pay surprise visits to check on the status of the department’s extensions across the province.  

Scholarship criteria

Lal directed the relevant officials to review the policy and criteria for awarding scholarships to minority students and to remove all complications in this regard. He said the entire process should be simplified so that only bright and deserving students could benefit from the scheme, adding that it has been observed that under the present policy, only students from well-off families are getting scholarships.  

Marriage grants

The minister said transparency should also be observed in the awarding of marriage grants to the families of minorities and it should be ensured that these grants reach only those who deserve them. He ordered organising joint marriage ceremonies of 25 to 50 couples at regional level in addition to issuing funds to individual cases of minorities under marriage grants.

During the meeting, Minority Affairs Secretary Tameezuddin Khero also gave a detailed briefing on the budget, development schemes and issues of the department. Deputy directors and assistant directors of the department’s regional offices in Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Larkana and Sukkur also attended the meeting.