KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday wound up the debate on the provincial budget 2024-25, shedding light on the provincial government’s priorities, future projects and the economic, political and social situation of the province.

As many as 131 members from the two sides of the aisle in a 168-member House participated in the discussion on the provincial budget in a congenial atmosphere.

The Sindh Assembly also unanimously approved a Rs213 billion supplementary budget — the additional funds spent by different ministries and departments during the fiscal year 2023-24.

Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah presented 55 demands for grants of different ministries on the supplementary budget statement which were approved without any opposition as no cut-motions were moved by any member belonging to opposition parties.

PA approves Rs213bn supplementary grants

The provincial ministries and departments had spent Rs213.164 billion more than the originally projected allocation in the budget 2023-24.

Earlier, the chief minister concluded the discussion on the provincial budget 2023-24 without any noise and commotion — a rare show of restraint from the opposition benches.

He said that the people of the province were happy with the Pakistan Peoples Party and they had always trusted the party which made all-out efforts for the uplift and development of the province.

“We have bagged 117 seats of the provincial assembly as people are happy with our performance,” he said adding that the PPP would secure more seats in future.

Mr Shah said that Karachi was his city and the provincial government had launched numerous uplift schemes for the city. Admitting that the water shortage was one of the biggest problems in the city, he said that the provincial government was making serious efforts on the early completion of the K-IV water project.

The chief minister said that before the February general elections, the provincial government had done a lot of work in the province, including Karachi, but the Election Commission stopped work on the ongoing schemes.

He said that the PPP’s provincial government had started the development of Thar and its coalfields during the period of the then CM Qaim Ali Shah.

“During the past five years we have completed all these works,” he said and added an airport was also established in Thar.

The chief minister said that the provincial government had done remarkable work in the health sector, mentioning the children’s hospital in Korangi and cyber-knife facility at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and robotic surgery in SIUT.

He said that the provincial government had laid a network of roads across the province. He said that the provincial government had requested the federal government to hand over the Lyari Expressway to the provincial government and to run heavy traffic.

He said that the development of Karachi would require the help of the opposition parties in the assembly.

Opposition leader’s concerns

While concluding his speech on the budget, Opposition Leader Ali Khurshidi expressed concern and anger over the performance of the electricity distribution companies in the province, including Karachi, and asked the chief minister to immediately discuss the matter with the prime minister.

“If these institutions cannot stop loadshedding, then go away from Sindh,” he said.

He said that the biggest problem in Karachi at the moment was the acute shortage of water. “The city needs 1,200 million gallons per day (MGD) of water but the supply is only 450 to 500 MGD,” he lamented.

He said that people had been hearing about the Karachi Circular Railway for ages, but the federal and provincial governments were not showing interest in the project.

During his speech, the opposition members also chanted slogans Pani do Pani Do (supply water).

The leader of the opposition welcomed the induction of electric buses in the city but said that the city needed around 15,000 buses. He said it might take years to fulfil the city’s requirement for buses.

Mr Khurshidi also highlighted the issue of Afghan illegal immigrants and called for strict action in this regard. He said that the opposition would support the government in its action against illegal immigrants.

Later, the house was adjourned to Friday.

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2024