Compensation rates to the civilian victims of various acts of terrorism, bomb blast, natural calamities, natural disasters.
Staff Report
KARACHI: Sindh Cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah here at CM House approved enhancement in compensation rate for the civilian victims of various acts of terrorism, bomb blast, natural calamities, natural disasters, and others by many folds, including for the bread earner.
The meeting was attended by all the provincial ministers, advisors, chief secretary, and concerned officers.
The home department on the directives of the chief minister had held a meeting in March 2020 to discuss the proposal of revisiting the compensation rates to the civilian victims of various acts of terrorism, bomb blast, natural calamities, natural disasters, and others.
The home department submitted the proposal for enhancement of compensation which the cabinet approved after discussion. It is as follows:
The compensation for loss of life due to a terrorist act has been enhanced from Rs500,000 to Rs1 million. The rate of innocent victims of crossfire enhanced from Rs200,000 to Rs500,000. The rate of victims of target killing increased from Rs200,000 to Rs500,000.
The rate of minor injuries due to terrorist activities retained at Rs100,000 while there was no compensation for injuries due to terrorist activities has been fixed at Rs200,000. The rate of permanent disability due to terrorist acts has als been enhanced from Rs200,000 to Rs400,000.
The compensation of loss of life 9bread earner) in case of natural calamities, disasters, and other causes have been enhanced from Rs100,000 to Rs200,000 and rate of loss of life of non-bread earner enhanced from Rs30,000 to Rs100,000.
The compensation rate for the families who suffer losses due to natural calamities, disasters, and other causes such as full amount/compensation has been enhanced from Rs5,000 to Rs50,000. 50 percent of actual loss subject to a maximum of Rs200,000 has been enhanced to Rs500,000. Rate of actual 50 percent loss calculated at Rs10,000 to Rs60,00 has been fixed at Rs50,000 to Rs100,000. Similarly, loss between Rs60,000 to Rs100,000 has been enhanced to Rs100,000 to Rs300,000 and the loss of Rs100,000 and above has been enhanced to Rs300,000 and above.
Law & Order: Inspector general of Police Mushtaq Maher giving a presentation to the cabinet on law and order said that terrorist incidents have been controlled completely. He added that 10 persons were killed in target killing in 2019 while only two persons killed in 2020. Some 944 murders were reported in 2019 and 786 in 2020. 75 cases of extortion were reported in 2019 and 76 in 2020 while kidnapping for ransom was recorded at 28 in 2019 but they have been increased to 106 in 2020. The reason behind more kidnapping cases was trapping the people by talking them in women’s voices on their mobile phones by dacoits. This trend increased in rural areas and now it has been controlled to some extent.
The cabinet was told that 3966 proclaimed offenders and 7934 absconders have been arrested and recovered 4297 arms and ammunition between January to June 30, 2020. It was pointed out that they confiscated 448,350 liters of Iranian diesel and arrested 186 culprits involved in the smuggling.
Giving police performance, the IG said that the police conducted 749 encounters, busted 537 gangs, arrested 8112 street criminals, killed 21 street dacoits and 6504 criminals were arrested.
Street Crime: Adl IG Karachi Ghulam Nabi Memon told the cabinet that the reason for street crime was drug addicts living on the roads and streets. He said that whenever strict operations against drug addicts have been launched the street crime has come down. According to him, the theft and crime activities are the main sources of living and purchasing of drugs.
He said that during 2020 908 robbers were arrested, of the 152 were released within a week, 114 in two weeks, 140 within a month, 163 in three months, 183 in six months, 156 over six months and in this all of them were released on bail. Mr. Memon disclosed that 2455 complaints had filed applications against street criminals, of them only 475 agreed to register FIRs.
The chief minister directed IG Police to strengthen the investigation branch and set up separate cadre, if necessary. He also urged him to upgrade his 2G locators to 4G locators, and enhance the number of crime scene units from eight to 13 and establish a fingerprint mechanism.
The chief minister categorically said that he would take action against the concerned police officers from where a person was kidnapped. He directed IG police to inform his SHOs all over Sindh, particularly in Karachi not to allow encroachment, otherwise, he would take strict action against them.
Security featured number plate: The Sindh Chief Minister, keeping in view theft, misuse, and abuse of the vehicles, had approved Rs400 million to introduce security featured number plates in the province.
The Excise & taxation Department held a meeting with National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC), an entity of the Ministry of Defence. The NRTC said that the automatic number plates recognition (ANPR) was increasingly used by the government, law enforcement agencies, safe city authorities, and private sector operators to enhance policing of roads, identifying and monitoring criminal activity in counter-terrorism.
The number plate has a template of Ajrak and Mazar-e-Quaid. The cabinet approved the proposal but asked the department to once again discuss its final feature in the sub-committee of the cabinet.
Minister Excise Mukesh Kumar Chawla gave a presentation on the security featured number plates to the cabinet. The number plate has BRT Common Corridor: Minister Transport Awais Qadir Shah said that Rs 1bilion has been approved as bridge financing to SIDCL subject to the condition that these estimates be jointly signed by both consultants of BRT Green Line and BRT Red Line.
The cabinet committee under Imtiaz Shaikh had recommended bridge financing for the common corridor of BRT Red Line and Green Line for construction of the Mezzanine floor. The cabinet also approved the recommendation of the sub-committee
The incentive for Construction Industry: The Minister Revenue, Makhdoom Mahboob told the cabinet that the federal government has announced a package for the construction sector. The federal government has requested all the provincial governments to club all provincial, municipal taxes, duties, fees, levies, charges on transfer/registration of urban properties under one head, and charge them at the rate of 2 percent of the valuation.
The cabinet approved the proposal and directed SMBR to examine the status of all the taxes, if the amendment was required in the law then it would be referred to the assembly, otherwise, its notifications should be issued.
Food Dept action: The Food Minister, Hari Ram told the cabinet that action against hoarders have been started and by Friday evening the chief minister would be given a report about the quantity of wheat seized within two days’ operation.
He also said that the police have also started impounding trucks loaded with wheat. U&B: The cabinet keeping in view the on-going pandemic of COVID-19 the cabinet approved the insertion of 1-A clause in the Sindh Board of Technical Education Ordinance, 1970 and the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Ordinance, 1972. The sub-section says “The board shall have the power to grant certificates and diplomas to the candidates promoted without examinations due to outbreak of epidemic or pandemic or emergency declared by the government.
The purpose of the insertion of the new clause in the ordinance is to award certificates to the students who have been promoted to the next class without taking their examination.
The cabinet approved an amendment in the NED University of Engineering Act for paving the way to induct one of the nominees of the Husein Ebrahim Foundation as a member of the syndicate of NED.
The cabinet also approved an amendment in the Ziauddin University Act so that it could establish its campuses out of Pakistan. The amendment would be presented in the assembly.
Federal Revenue transfers: Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi presented a report on federal transfers for the year 2018-19. The chief minister said that presenting the federal revenue transfers to the cabinet was required under article 150(3)b of the constitution, which required that the details of the federal transfers to provinces should be presented to cabinet and the Provincial Assembly, every six months.
The cabinet was told that for the year 2018-19, the province of Sindh has transferred Rs 304.3 billion in the first half, and another Rs.310.069 billion in the second half of the year 2018-19.
Sister Ruth Lewis: At the outset, the cabinet observed a one-minute silence to mourn the death of sister Ruth. The chief minister and the cabinet paid rich tribute to the departed soul and said her services for differently-abled persons were unforgettable and would be written with golden words in the history.
The cabinet recommended the federal government to award a civil award to Sister Ruth Lewis. The chief minister, just after the cabinet meeting, talked to President of Pakistan Arif Alvi on the telephone and informed him about the recommendation of the provincial cabinet for giving a civil award to Sister Ruth Lewis. The president appreciated the recommendation of the cabinet and assured the chief minister that the recommendation of the cabinet would be respected.
