Naimat Khan
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that Sindh produces 2,800 mmcfd Gas out of which more than 1000 mmcfd is diverted to other provinces by restoring to load-shedding in the industrial areas of the province; this is unconstitutional and causes heavy financial losses to the people of the province.
This he said on Thursday while presiding over a preparatory meeting for CCI meeting to be held in Islamabad on Today. The meeting was attended by Special Assistant to CM on IPC Nawab Taimore Talpur, Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon, Advocate General Sindh Zamir Ghumro, Principal Secretary to CM Sohail Rajput, Secretary Energy Agha Wasif, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi, Secretary U&B Mohammad Hussain Syed, Secretary Labour Rasheed Solangi and others.
Giving constitutional reference, the chief minister said that Article 158 of the constitution recognizes precedence of and first right of utilization of gas by gas producing province. but “this right of our people have been denied,” he said and added that the province of Sindh produces 2800 mmcfd gas which should be used for generation of electricity, for domestic and industrial purposes by the people of the province, but out of 2800 mmcfd more than 1000 mmcfd its gas is given to other provinces.
He said that there were thousands of villages in Sindh which did not have gas or electricity. Gas load-shedding is resorted in industrial areas of Sindh. “If 1000 mmcfd gas of Sindh is not given to other provinces, Sindh can produce 5000 MW electricity from it at a rate of Rs8 per unit against Rs15 per unit which we are charged.
Murad Ali Shah said that this causes billion rupees loss to the province, therefore the people of Sindh demand implementation of Article 158 in true letter and spirit. He added that the people of Sindh demand from the federal government to let it use its gas and for the purpose a resolution of would be presented in provincial assembly of Sindh.
He said that natural gas produced from all new discoveries and old wellheads located in a province be allocated to respective province. The province(s) with deficient gas production should meet their requirement by importing gas, RLNG, LPG etc. He urged the federal government to announce province specific Gas Allocation and Management Policy (GA&MP).
The provincial government has prepared a draft Sindh GA&MP-2017. Under the draft policy first priority would be given to domestic, second to Defence & strategic installations, third- fertilizer, KE power plants, IPP, GENCO and power plants under PPP mode with firm gas supply commitments, textile industry and captive power producers of export oriented textile industry. Fourth priority has been given to housing industry, general industry, CNG. Fifth priority to KE power plants other than the listed in in third priority and six priority has been given to cement.
Discussing drafty National water policy, the Sindh chief minister said that he would accept the new policy if observations of the provincial government are incorporated. He said that his observations include to secure katcha areas and economy thereof; to preserve delta area by providing sufficient supplies regularly; to make rain water disposal arrangement in plains where it cannot be disposed of or diverted in the river and to ensure equity of water distribution between head and tail reaches and to rationalize water allocations between various canal commands shall be rationalized but without harming the water accord allocation.
The chief minister also said that the provinces are responsible for routine repair and maintenance of flood protection dukes, flood fighting and drain age, however in case of major catastrophic like 2010 floods, the funds should be provided by the federal government. He also added that National Surface Drainage shall be developed through consultation among the provinces for handling of saline and toxic effluent but making the province, generating such effluent, responsible for treating it before allowing it to flow into the other provinces.
Talking about provincial HEC, the chief minister said that the provincial government is of the view that federal HEC Ordinance 2002 may be amended and its application be made limited to federal territory only. The federal Higher Education Division should be devolved and its functions which now are the domain of the Sindh HEC, including regulations, planning and policy of higher education institutions and t their functions and assets be transferred to the provincial HEC.
He said that the practice of funding to the provincial public sector universities being made directly by the federal HEC may be routed through proper channel, that is provincial government till next NFC award, as was decided earlier.
The chief minister proposed that the ministry of IPC should evolve a smooth transition mechanism in consultation with provinces for smooth devolution of existing physical and technical resources and assets of the federal HEC.
The other items which are likely to be taken up in the CCI include supply of gas to villages within 5 km radios of gas filed. Under this category more 437 villages of Sindh would be given gas but there is a dispute of payment. The federal government wants Sindh to pay Rs2.844 million against the total expenditures of Rs3.59 million. The provincial government urges federal government to meet all the expenditures.
The other items on the CCI agenda are establishment of fiscal coordination committee, post devolution status of EOBI and workers welfare fund (WWF).
