Sindh demands judicial probe into water shortage
Provincial agriculture minister blames Centre for destroying farming
PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
A sitting Sindh minister demanded on Friday a judicial inquiry into the provision of less water to the province than its allotted quota by the Indus River System Authority (Irsa), which led to water shortage there.
Provincial Agriculture Minister Ismail Rahu, while Addressing a press conference at Sindh House in Islamabad, held the federal government responsible for committing for “such a great injustice to Sindh” and for the “destruction of the agriculture” in the province.
“A judicial inquiry should be held into the issue of provision of less water to Sindh. Water is not being released to Sindh even for the early kharif season,” Rahu told reporters. “It’s a great injustice to Sindh but the prime minister is silent,” he added.
Minister censures Centre over agriculture policies
Calls for lifting of ban on onion exports, end to tomato imports, higher wheat support price
KARACHI:
Sindh Agriculture Minister Ismail Rahu censured the federal government on Sunday over its decision to import tomatoes and ban onion exports. In a statement, he demanded the Centre to fix the support price of wheat at Rs2,000 per maund.
According to the provincial minister, homegrown wheat is currently being sold for Rs2,200 per maund while imported wheat is priced at Rs2,500 per maund. The federal government is willing to import wheat at a rate of Rs2,700 per maund but won t purchase it from domestic farmers at Rs2,000, he said.
CM directs revenue board to explore ways for improving KMC’s revenue
Karachi
February 26, 2021
In order to boost the revenue of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed the Sindh Revenue Board (SRB) to explore ways and means to collect local taxes on behalf of the KMC.
He took this decision while presiding over a meeting to resolve pension issues of civic bodies such as the KMC, District Municipal Corporations, Karachi Development Authority and other local committees at the CM House on Thursday.
The CM was told that the KMC had 12,900 employees and their salary bill was over Rs560 million and the pension bill was Rs330 million but the recoveries were very low compared to expenditures.
In this file photo, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah addresses a press conference. DawnNewsTV/File
KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, in order to boost recoveries of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, directed the Sindh Revenue Board (SRB) on Thursday to collect local taxes on behalf of the city’s municipality to make it financially strong.
He took this decision while presiding over a meeting held to resolve pension issues of the local bodies the KMC, DMCs, KDA and other local committees here at CM House. The meeting was attended by Agriculture Minister Ismail Rahu, Local Government Minister Nasir Shah, Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, finance secretary Hassan Naqvi, agriculture secretary Rahim Soomro and the KMC’s municipal commissioner.