The federal government during FY14 transferred Rs 321.568 billion against the budgeted Rs 381.910 billion to Sindh, at least 10 districts of which, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) says, is facing drought.
This was disclosed in a presentation given to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah in the cabinet meeting held with him in the chair at the Chief Minister House Saturday.
The chief minister was told that during the financial year 2012-13 the federal government had committed to transfer Rs 381.910 billion, including Rs 314.366 billion from the divisible pool, straight transfers of Rs59.252 billion and grant in lieu of OZT Rs381.910 billion.
Unfortunately, the actual Rs receipts were 321.568 billion, including Rs 261.105 billion from divisible pool, RS 54.13 billion straight transfers and Rs 6.333 billion in lieu of OZT. This showed a shortfall of Rs60.342 billion.
As a result, the Sindh government had to face financial problems particularly in executing its development works. Shah, in his opening remarks, said the entire Sindh cabinet, each and every elected representative of the province was responsible to serve the people of Tharparkar. “We have discussed the situation in Tharparkar in threadbare in various meetings but I want an effective solution to be explored.”
In another presentation given by the PDMA, it was said that first cold wave would hit Tharparkar by the second week of December. “Tharparkar faces extreme variation of temperature which puts negative impact on human health,” the meeting was told.
The presentation further said that overall 10 districts were facing drought and Tharparkar was facing a severe situation while Dadu and Jamshoro were partially affected.
The areas of Thatta, Sujawal, Sukkur (Achhro Thar), Umerkot, Khipro taluka of Sanghar, Nara Taluka of Khairpur, Qambar-Shahdadkot and parts of Karachi are faced with mild drought.
The chief minister was told that high energy biscuits were required as recommended by the WFO but they were not easily available in the market and if an order was placed for their manufacturing it would take three months to be available.
On this, the chief minister directed the PDMA to provide them the best available biscuits to improve the immune system of the children living in the drought-affected areas in a shortest possible time.
“The WFO may be requested to provide high energy biscuits as soon as possible,” he said.
The health department in its briefing to the cabinet said they had conducted a survey of 1,352 villages, 50 percent of total villages of Tharparkar, over 80,000 blankets were required for pregnant/lactating women and children under 10.
The PDMA on the directives of chief minister said that they had started sending blankets.
“We would meet the requirement,” the PDMA said. The PDMA also said they had started sending mosquito repellent and mosquito nets for 30,000 families. On this, the chief minister directed the PDMA to ensure good quality of the material being transported to Thar.
The cabinet approved to install 1,062 hand pumps in Dadu, Jamshoro and Thatta districts. On the request of Minister for Excise and Taxation and Wildlife Gianchand Israni, the chief minister approved the installation of tube wells in Kohistan.
A proposal to provide cash instead of wheat to 19,5671 households of drought-affected people was floated but the cabinet did not approve it and decided to distribute wheat among the affected people.
The health department in its briefing said there were serious problems of malnutrition in Thar which is on the top among the four districts facing severe malnutrition problems of Pakistan such as Bakhar and Mianwali.
The health department told the cabinet that they had started sending more doctors to the hospitals of Tharparkar. Mithi Civil Hospital was well-equipped but they had started sending doctors to the dispensaries to far-flung areas.
The department had also proposal to upgrade BHU with equipments, doctors and other concerned staff. The chief minister directed the health department to send the doctors who had domicile of Tharparkar district. They must serve in their home district for a period of one or two years. Minister for Livestock Jam Khan Shoro told the cabinet that under a special programme chilling centers would be established in Thar.
Tharparkar has largest population of cattle. Their milk was organic and it had great demand if it was properly sold. This would improve livelihood of the people of the area. The chief minister directed the minister livestock to expedite the work in the project.
Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon proposed that new townships or modern villages should be built in Thar so that they could be provided all the facilities at a single place. “They are scattered settlements and it was quite difficult to reach each and every locality.”
The chief minister directed the health department to send special teams of doctors to Dahli taluka to check and examine villages to control Congo fever. One patient of Congo virus has died in Karachi. He hailed from a village of Dahli taluka. Apart from the ministers, the meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Sajjad Saleem Hotiana, IG Sindh.