F.P. Report
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that the emergency he has declared in the education department has set some clear directions which are bound to improve the quality of education in the public sector.
This he said while talking to media just after attending as a chief guest the convocation of NED University of Science & Technology on Saturday afternoon.
He said that problems in education department are serious, complicated and old ones. Their solution would take some time this is why we are working on a 10-year education reform program to overhaul the entire system. “I have held a number of meetings for introducing reforms in education right from primary to higher education,” he said and added that the proposed reforms include improvement of text books, proper and professional trainings of teachers, more efficient and transparent mechanism of teachers’ recruitment, performance-based promotions, increments and incentives for best teachers and warding of inefficient teachers and improvement of class room environment where students can receive education.
He said that he has constituted a committee to suggest the reforms and then leading educationists of prominent private sector educational institutes would be involved to work out a detailed 10-year education reform program for which support of civil society, parents and teachers would be taken into confidence for it implementation.
Talking about baton-charge resorted by the police on protesting teachers, the chief minister said that he was a democratic person and believes that peaceful protest is right of every one but “when your protest becomes problematic for others it becomes the responsibility of the administration to stop it,” he said and added he had taken notice of the lathi charge on the teachers.
Murad Ali Shah said that “It is unethical to stage sit-in at the houses of the political leadership,” and added that when all the demands of the agitating teachers were accepted there was no point to continue the protest,” he said and went on saying that there was political party involved in instigating the teachers for continuation their protects.
He said that he had held a meeting with the office-bearers of the teachers who had met him in Sukkur also. If there are groupings in teachers’ bodies that is their issue in which government cannot be dragged in. “The basic job of teachers is to teach in the class room not to protest on the roads,” he asked and said he knows that some of the teachers do not know how to teach,” he lamented. The cabinet has decided to regularize the teachers of Sindh University and NTS pass tests. The cabinet is the highest forum and they [teachers associations] should have understand the reality that the cabinet decision is the final decision. He said that on the demand of the teachers he has awarded time scale to primary teachers and the process of regularization of teachers is in progress.
Replying to a question, the chief minister said that after the enforcement of 18th constitutional amendment the provincial government had created its Sindh Higher Education Commission (SHEC) but “I don’t know why the federal HEC was still encroaching upon the provincial government functions,” he asked. He expressed surprise that the federal HEC was providing funds to public sector universities directly without keeping the provincial government in the lope.
Replying to a question, he said that due to some health issues of Dr Asim Hussain, the performance of provincial HEC might have been affected but “we are strengthening it administratively, financially and academically,” he said and added “Dr Asim is a senior parliamentarian, prominent educationalist and chancellor of his university, therefore his experience is of a great value,” he said. Murad Ali Shah said that he was sincere in serving the people of this province in all the sectors. “We are committed and we would show the results,” he vowed.
Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that after holding six consecutive meetings with all the concerned department and going through facts and figures has prepared a report for `provision of clean drinking water and safe environment to the people of Sindh’ for submission in the Supreme Court of Pakistan in CP NO.38 of 2016. This he said this while presiding over the one-point agenda cabinet meeting here at the CM House on Satuday to take all the cabinet members into confidence on the improvement of existing water and sanitation system and future endeavors.
He told the cabinet that the report spreads over 132 pages which contain 381 schemes which are as follows:
The ADP schemes of water supply and sewerage system. District-wise report on which all points from where municipal, hospital and industrial sewerage is discharged in ultimate source of clean drinking water. Summary of hospital waste treatment in all districts. Summary of industrial effluent treatment in all the districts. Summary of proper sewerage system along with treatment plants with proper source of discharge in all districts. List of district-wise sewerage schemes for rural areas of Sindh, included in ADP. Component-wise physical and financial progress of Greater Karachi Sewerage Plan S-III, details of five combined effluent treatment plants project. Details of Greater Karachi Bulk Water Supply Scheme, K-IV phase-I of 260 mgd and District-wise report showing the plans with their cut-off date for ensuring uncontaminated water for every district according to its population.
The implementation of the entire plan would cost around Rs400 billion, the chief minister said. The cabinet discussed and approved the report for submission in the supreme court.
The chief minister also told the cabinet about his appearance before the chief Justice of Pakistan in the water case and had briefed him about the efforts his government was taking for the purpose. He said in the light of the direction of the supreme court, the report has been prepared with the plan to implement water and sanitation plan. The cabinet approved the report and authorize the government to present it in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
An additional item of new IG police appointment was take up. The cabinet was informed that the federal government has again sought a panel of three officers of grade B-22 who have more than two-year service to retire. The cabinet approved three names, Sardar Abdul Majeed, Arif Nawaz and Maher Khalid dad Lak for new IG police and directed the cabinet to send the letter to the federal government today.
Another item taken up in the meeting was shifting of Anti-Terrorism Courts from Clifton to Central Jail Karachi. There are 33 ATC courts notified by the government, of them 27 courts are functioning and six are lying vacant. The cabinet was told that the ATCs working at Clifton, near Bagh-e-Ibne Qasim are required to be shifted to Central Jail where a beautiful and most secure building has been established for Rs240 million to house the ATC courts.
The chief minister said that it becomes quite difficult to transport terrorists from jail to ATC Courts Clifton for hearing. This is why the provincial government on the request of judiciary has established ATC courts at Central jail. The chief minister said that the government would establish a beautiful library in the building from where ATC courts are being shifted to central jail.
The cabinet took up another item of Sindh Industries Registration act, 2017 as additional agenda. It provides for registration, organized and planned growth of industries in the province.
Minister for Industries briefed the chief minister on the bill. He added that with the registration and planned growth the industries department would be able to make necessary planning to provide necessary facilities such as treatment plants, roads and other related infrastructure.
The cabinet constituted a subcommittee under Minister for Industries, Minister Labour, Chairman P&D Mohammad Waseem to revisit the bill so that it could be made in the interest of the industrialists.
