Karachi, June 17, 2023 (PPI-OT): Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that during the last five years, the provincial government collected Rs5 trillion (from fed govt and provincial resources), of them Rs2.6 trillion was spent on salaries, retirement benefits, and pension of the government employees. “We have spent t Rs442 billion in the non-development expenditures of Local government, Rs909 billion on education, including Rs48.9 billion on grants universities.” He said this while winding up a debate on the budget 2023-24 here on the floor of the assembly. The Chief Minister said that it was his 11th speech to wind up annual budgets. He added that so far, he had made 18 speeches, including five as opposition members. “My association with the Sindh assembly was going on since 1972 when he had sat in the gallery,” he recalled and went on saying that his father, former chief minister Sindh Syed Abdullah Shah the
has the honor to preside over the then session in which Ghulam Rasool Kehar was elected as assembly speaker. Mr Shahsaid that in the past opposition members were not allowed to speak in the assembly. “Even the then speaker had banned my entry in the assembly,” he recalled and then said it was the PPP government PPP which has established a new tradition of giving maximum time to the opposition member stop speak in the houses since 2008. Though he could not attend the session, but he had the record of each and every speech, including Nand Kumar, Khwaja Izhar Mohammad Hussain and others. In 2008 our leader Shaheed Mohterma Benazir Bhutto was killed, and people had come out to cast vote in favor of PPP. We did better than 2008 in 2013 and better than 2013 in 2018.
Imran Khan as PM had not given a single scheme in the province. He used to speak reluctantly with him during his meeting with him. “We served the city and out of 25 have won 13 UCs in local bodies election,” he said. 1970 there were only 7 seats, of them 2 PPP had won and two Jamaat and one independent PPP had bagged 200754 votes while Jamat had taken 168,000 votes. The city which belonged to Shaheed Bhutto. “ye shahre Karachi Bhutto (this city of Karachi belongs to Bhutto),’ he said.
He said thirty MQM-P was a maturity party but during the last few years it has shown lack of maturity. He urged MQM-P not to blame PPP for its weaknesses. The first disaster we had seen was Imran Khan as prime minister. The other one was COVID-19 and then we had seen the unprecedented rains. When PM Shahbaz Sharif visited Sindh he saw rain water accumulated all over Sindh he asked me the provincial government would not be able to grow wheat. “Our government made all out efforts had grown record wheat crop. Mr. Shah said that the 8per cent relief to the people was given by the provincial government. The affected people were given cash transfer to through Benazir Income Support program.
Murad Shah gave a complement to Education Minister Syed Sardar Shah for delivering an impressive speech. Mr Shah said that his government started making projects just after receiving devastating floods. “We talked to the world bank, the Asian Bank and other donor agencies and managed to get funds to rehabilitate the devastated people. 21 lakh houses -Rs660 billion. [$500 m by WB) The federal government has been talking to make a deal with IMF for a loan of $1.2bn but we managed $.23 billion facility. The world Bank Regional Director and the Country director visited Sindh last week and they appreciated the provincial government for doing an excellent job for rehabilitation of the flood affected people.
Budget: Our development outlay has been pitched at Rs700 bn and how it would be achieved the provincial government has worked out the plan. Mr Shah said that during the last five-year the Sindh government has received Rs3.8 trillion from the federal government and the provincial government’s revenues were Rs1.2 trillion. In this way, during the last five years, the Sindh government has spent RS5 trillion, of them Rs2.6 trillion were spent on government employees’ salaries. Retirement expenditures and pensions. from federal government total Rs5 trillion we have received. Murad Shah said that during the last five years, the Sindh government has spent Rs442 billion in the non-development expenditures of Local government, Rs909 billion on education, including Rs48.9 billion on grants [given] to the educational institutions/universities. Rs37 billion to NICVD, Rs26 billion to SICVD, Rs5.8 billion to NICH, like RS16 billion to Indus Hospital- our private partners, and likewise to the other institutions.
Development: During last five years, the Sindh government has utilized Rs840 billion on development. During the last tenure ending in 20-17-18 the Sindh government has spent the heights development expenditures of Rs202 billion. Mr. Shah said that the foreign loans were the only ensure funding for development, otherwise. Rs166 billion Rs102 billion are only for Karachi. KWSSIP Rs7.2 billion are to be spent in Karachi, Rs27 billion on CLICK project, BRT Rs26 Billion and Yellow Line Rs22 billion. He disclosed that 1061 schemes have been launched in the Karachi against Rs K-IV: K-IV project was started in 2002, Mr. Shah said and added that in 2007 the problems started. The K-IV was a 260 MGD project launched for Rs29.5 billion. The pre-feasibility was made in 2002 and its cost was Rs42 billion. The essential components were not included.
The CM said that he pressed the CCI to give additional water to Karachi, but the federal government refused. The scheme was approved in 2014-15b and the then CM Syed Qaim Ali Shah had laid its foundation. Being an engineer, Murad Ali shah said that he pointed out that the schemes would not be completed as most of the works have not been included in the project. Mr. Shah added that he talked to FWO and told them the funds were available and urged them to make a Rs24.5 billion for which they agreed.
The FWO split the K-IV project in two phases and demanded additional Rs3.5 billion which the provincial government arranged from its own resources. The CM said that the KWSB had made the K-IV scheme and its alignment was approved by the then mayor. On Sept 16, Prime Minister Imran Khan held a meeting in which a person sitting in the meeting said that the Sindh govt was a thief and inquiry may be initiated. The inquiry started and the work was stopped. The NAB and other organization conducted the inquiry. Rs42 to Rs80 billion. The NESPAK was asked to redesign the project and make afresh alignment for which Mr. Shah said he has been terming it defective. The federal government decided that the provincial government would carry out the convenience system at Rs100 billion while the PTI government would make its main canal system.
The PTI said that the K-IV would cost Rs126 billion. This year the federal government has allocated Rs16 billion, and the CM said that he had raised the issue with his meeting with Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. Murad Ali Shah said that he has arranged Rs100 billion for the K-IV augmentation project and the scheme has been sent to ECNEC for approval. The provincial energy dept. has started the scheme to install a 50 MW power plant for the K-IV. He said that he met with Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Friday. In 2022-23, he wrote a letter to the PM in which he pointed out that no scheme was given in the PSDP. He requested the PM to give more schemes to Sindh. On his hue and cry only seven schemes were allocated for Sindh for which Rs900 million were allocated and resultantly no funds were released.
In this new budget, 2023-24, the size of the Sindh government in the federal PSDP was raised from Rs4 billion to Rs22.9 billion. CM said that the K.B federal scheme was Rs80 billion. The prime minister assured that the federal government would not do injustice to Sindh. “We would hold another meeting with federal ministers on behalf of the prime minister to get more schemes for Sindh,” he said. The CM said in the Housing Scheme of Rs660 billion the federal government has vowed to give Rs25 billion. “I have given two schemes to the prime minister – KB Feeder and repair of damaged school buildings of Rs12 billion for the repair of damaged school buildings.
Khwaja Izahr: Murad Ali Shah said that in the past Khwaja Izhar used to deliver impressive speeches but this time his speech was not up to the mark. Khwaja said that in 1947 Karachi did not exist which was surprising, the CM said and added in 711 BC Mohammad Qasim came to Debul. Karachi was a small village in Sindh. In 1725 the Baloch travellers of Makran, and Kalat settled in Karachi. In 1770 a second batch of Baloch came and settled in Karachi, the CM said and added the Talpur were rulers who had allowed East India Company to establish their office in Karachi but within two years the Talpur smelt the intentions, directed them to shut down their business. When Pakistan came into being Karachi was the biggest city in the country. “Karachi was an established city,” he said.
Income Tax was a provincial subject when Pakistan was created. Karachi has developed because the provincial government has invested in this city. Murad Ali Shah said that the tone the MQM-P friends speak in the assembly which they also termed as a threat to the provincial government was deplorable. He added that he has worked even in those cities and towns areas where his party had not taken votes such as Korangi but this time the PP won Korangi Town in the local bodies election. Cyclone: Murad Ali Shah said that he was thankful to the MPAs, MNAs, Pak Army, Navy, rangers, Maritime, and provincial departments, including Police, PDMA, and others for working with great spirit to protect people.
196, Islamkot 146 mm, 175 mm in Diplo, and various house shave damaged but he announced to help the affected people. In 2017 I raised the issue that the census was not acceptable. The CCI approved the census with five percent validation in 2018. In 2020 the matter came again in the CCI and I gave a dissenting note and challenged it in the parliament. When it was taken up in the parliament it was only PPP. Aminul Haq had written only a note in the cabinet. Murad Shah said that when he was contesting the federal government for making the census transparent, one of the MQM-P leaders addressed a press conference and said that MQM-P was ready to conduct the census by establishing the camps to facilitate the people. Murad Ali Shah spoke in detail on the census and the case he fought, therefore, the population of the province increased.
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