Sindh needs finances not assurance, CM tells Center

KARACHI: Chief Minister Sindh Qaim Ali Shah has said the federal government is not supporting Sindh financially and the verbal assurances are of no value to the province.
The chief minister, while talking to a delegation of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), said K-4 water project, pending since Musharraf regime, is a Rs25 billion project. The cost of the project was to be shared between the province and the center, but the government has only paid Rs200 million so far. He said the water shortage is a major problem for Karachi and it needs to be sorted on a priority bases.
Along with water, sewerage project of the provincial metropolis with a cost of Rs39 billion is also pending. The project was to be funded partly by the center. However, only Rs100 million have been received alone.
Similar situation is with Lyari expressway, on which the federal government had committed to provide 50 percent of the Rs3 billion total cost, but no financial aid arrived.
“Our share of three billion is ready, the federal government should provide its three billion,” he said.
He said Sindh is ready to accommodate the citizens displaced by the Lyari expressway - even though they had illegally constructed such buildings.
CM Sindh said the province has also been neglected in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), as out of Rs585 billion outlay, they are only given Rs9.5 billion.
Moreover, the CM said Sindh is producing 72 percent of gas and is getting only 28 percent share. A petition has also been filed in the Sindh High Court (SHC) by a businessman in this regard.
Talking about the law and order situation of the province, Shah said law and order situation cannot be fixed in a day, five years or ten years.
“Crime has declined in the province but it has not ended completely, Shah said, adding that police was reluctant earlier but the government increased compensation for the families of martyred police officials up to Rs10 million, which has boosted their morale, he said.
“Karachi is a city of 22 million people and 6,000 to 7,000 people daily come to Karachi, I had stopped incoming tribal people but I was criticized,” he said, adding that the province will deal with that situation soon.
Briefing about Thar coal, the chief minister said a Chinese company is working on the project and it would produce electricity in around three years.
He blamed the federal government for the energy negligence that caused the deaths of many in the city.
Earlier, Abdul Rahim Janoo, senior vice president FPCCI, briefed CM that the business community is considering moving abroad amid law and order situation and as employees of excise and taxation are harassing businessmen in the name of chief minister.