Sindh Government to provide scholarships for Top Scorers

KARACHI , The Sindh Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution that the Sindh government would offer scholarships till graduation to the students who secure top score in Matriculation and Intermediate exams.

The private day of session started on Tuesday at 10:10am with Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza in chair. MPA of Muttahdia Qaumi Movement (MQM) Mohammad Alim-u-Rehman moved the private resolution about scholarships. He said that in the developed countries, governments invest in clever students in the shape of scholarship and other incentives. He said the Sindh government should follow these positive steps of the other governments and announce giving scholarships students getting top score in Matriculation exams. Minister for Finance Murad Ali Shah endorsed the resolution. However, he suggested that not only the students of the matriculation but also the students of Intermediate should also be covered in the resolution. On this, Speaker gave ruling for the amendment and it was passed, unanimously. Earlier, taking part in the debate, MPA Munawar Ali Abbasi said that he fully supported the resolution and government should start giving scholarships to position holder students. Dr Ahmed Ali Shah, Arif Mustafa Jatoi, Minister for Power Shazia Marri, Minister for Women’s Development Tauqeer Fatima Bhutto, Rasheeda Panhwar, and others also admired the resolution.

Leader of the Opposition Jam Madad Ali supported the resolution and said that students of the province will be encouraged with these scholarships. Later, MQM MPA Zareen Majid tabled a private resolution that Sindh government would take special measures to disburse the sugar cess collection from sugar mills for the welfare and development of area where such mills are established. She said that sugar mill owners enjoy profits of billions of rupees but the people in sugarcane areas lack even the basic facilities. She said that government should make a plan in order to develop these areas where with the sugar cess funds. Provincial Finance Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that there are local development committees under every District Coordination Officer (DCO) and funds recovered from the sugar mills regarding the development of that area are transferred to these committees, hence, the draft of resolution should be corrected keeping in view this fact. Parliamentary leader of MQM Syed Sardar Ahmed said that the issue is that many sugar millers are even not paying these funds. Syed Murad Ali Shah, accepting the version of Syed Sardar Ahmed, urged the resolution should be redrafted to make it acceptable for whole House.

Earlier, MPA of Pakistan Muslim League Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q) Shahryar Khan Mahar tried to table a privilege motion against the administration of Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Sukkur but the deputy speaker Shehla Raza did not allow it on technical grounds. PML-F MPA Nusrat Sehr Abbasi tabled an adjournment motion that Education and Literacy department of Sindh had discontinued the services of the more than 7000 employees who had been working in the department on contract basis which is injustice and will increase frustration among the people of the province. She said that Sindh Government is not giving the people new jobs so those who are already employed should not be sacked. Senior Minister for Education and Literacy Pir Mazhar-ul-Haq said that his department is advertising these vacancies on permanent basis, adding the government will give preference to the sacked employees in recruitment. Pir Mazhar requested Ms Abbasi to withdraw her motion.

On his request, MPA Nusrat Sehr Abbasi announced to withdraw the adjournment motion. MPA of National People’s Party (NPP) Arif Mustafa Jatoi tabled a motion for leave to introduce the private Bill No 12 of 2009 - The Sindh Local Government Ordinance (Amendment) Bill. Jatoi said that there is no any MPA in the body of Provincial Finance Commission so that MPAs should be made members of the commission and Leader of the Opposition also be made its member. Minister for the Finance Syed Murad Ali Shah said that the federal government has not included opposition leader in National Finance Commission so why we should do this. He said the Provincial Finance Commission is giving funds to the district governments and these committees are working in districts so there is no need of including MPA in the provincial Finance Commission. Deputy Speaker gave ruling for the voting on the motion and house rejected it.
Arif Mustafa Jatoi has tabled another motion for leave to introduce the private Bill No 4- of 2010-The Sindh Advisors (Appointments, Powers, Functions, Salaries, Allowances, and Privileges) Amendment bill. He said that after the passage of 18th Amendment, Chief Minster has no power to appoint more than five advisors in any province but the Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali has appointed as many as 15 advisors and he should reduce the number of his advisors as per the constitution. Minister for Law and Parliamentary affairs Mohammad Ayaz Soomro, however, opposed the idea. He said after the passage of 18th amendment things are being taken step by step. He said that Sindh government will also implement all requirement of the constitution, steps by step. Deputy Speaker gave the ruling for voting on the motion and it was rejected by the House. Many other items remained on the order of the day but the chair adjourned the session till 10:00 am of 12th January on Wednesday.

Source: http://www.onepakistan.com/news/local/karachi/81615-sindh-assembly-passes-resolution-for-granting-scholarship-to-position-holder-students.html