KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said on Wednesday the provincial government had decided to ensure implementation of minimum wage of Rs25,000 across all government and private organisations.

Shah said at a press conference after presiding over a meeting with his ministers at Chief Minister House that the cabinet had decided to task the labour and industries departments with implementation of the minimum wage.

He hinted at further raising the minimum wage to Rs30,000 considering the fact that “a tsunami of price hike caused by mismanagement and incompetence of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government has deprived the poor of even two square meals”.

He said the cabinet had expressed serious reservations over “defective, immature, and unrealistic” policies of the federal government which had increased inflation to such high levels that even white-collared people were finding it hard to feed their families. “This is quite painful situation,” he said.

The chief minister recalled that when his government had enhanced the minimum wage from Rs17,500 to Rs25,000 he was criticised by the federal government. “Compared with the federal government that has wasted its precious time crushing political opponents and promulgating ordinances, the Sindh government has taken important decisions which are need of the hour,” he said.

He said in reply to a question that the federal government had failed to stop wheat smuggling last year as well as this year, causing sizable increase in wheat flour prices. The flour was available at Rs77 per kg in Sindh and the commodity being sold for Rs55 a kilo in some areas in the province as claimed by federal ministers was not fit for even animals’ consumption, he said.

He said the federal government had stuck to a peculiar policy since its inception under which it passed the buck to previous governments and dumped all its failures at their door while in reality it had failed completely in all sectors.

About change in alignment of Malir Expressway, he said that it had been slightly modified to save a number of old villages but it had led to rise in the project cost. “The change in alignment was not acceptable to some of the stakeholders, therefore, the government has decided to take all on board,” he said, adding that it was the reason behind delay in the project.

The chief minister was accompanied by Minister for Labour Saeed Ghani, Minister for Education Sardar Shah and Minister for Industries Ikramullah Dharejo at the press conference.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2021