Sindh CM asks for detailed poverty survey to frame better policies

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  • P&D chairman says Bureau of Statistics competent enough to carry out the task

  • CM announces to launch province-wide beautification projects

  • Meets with KBA delegation

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday announced to conduct a scientific survey to assess and measure poverty ratio in the province so that it could be addressed accordingly.

He took this decision while presiding over a meeting on the development programme here at the Chief Minister House. The meeting was attended by Planning & Development (P&D) Chairman Mohammad Waseem, Principal Secretary to CM Sohail Rajput, Finance Secretary Dr Noor Alam, P&D member Fatah Tunio, CM Secretariat Additional Secretary Fayaz Jatoi and others.

The CM said that his government is working on poverty reduction by launching different projects and schemes but even then, there should be a scientific method to measure the poverty ratio and level in the province.

The chief minister, quoting the definition of poverty, said that it is a condition characterised by severe deprivation of basic human needs including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education and information.

“It depends not only on income but also on access to services,” Shah said and added that he wanted to conduct a scientific study or survey to measure poverty ratio persisting in the province. “This will help address the real issues to improve overall life,” he said.

The chief minister directed P&D chairman to work out a detailed chart or yardstick to measure poverty in the province.

P&D Chairman Mohammad Waseem said that the Bureau of Statistics is competent enough to conduct the survey. He said that he would work out a chart and get it approved by the chief minister to start the survey across Sindh.

The chief minister also said that he had a plan to beautify each and every district and taluka headquarters in the first phase and villages in the second phase. Under the beautification plan including removal of encroachments, improvement or reconstruction of roads, construction of proper drainage system, provision of clean water schemes and improvement of health services. As far as education is concerned a separate programme for the provision of missing facilities was in progress.

He also directed P&D chairman to start work on the next year 2019-20 Annual Development Plan (ADP) from next month. “I want to start new development schemes in districts which preferably can be completed within a year,” he said and added that he would declare some model villages where all facilities would be provided.

On the instructions of the chief minister, a team led by P&D DG was constituted to check the quality of developments works and to ensure their timely completion.

CM MEETS WITH KBA DELEGATION:

A 17-member delegation of Karachi Bar Association (KBA) called on Sindh chief minister and discussed over issues of the lawyers’ community with him.

The meeting with lawyers was attended by Chief Minister’s Advisor on Information Murtaza Wahab.

The chief minister acknowledging the sacrifices of the lawyers’ community for the restoration of democracy said that he has special regards for them. “Our father of nation Quid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah was a leading lawyer and founder of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was also a lawyer and my father was also a prominent lawyer,” he said and added, therefore, he had a strong bond with the lawyers community.