Sindh govt submits progress report in coronavirus suo moto notice case

ISLAMABAD: The Sindh Government on Monday submitted its progress report in coronavirus suo moto notice case.

A five-member larger bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed and comprising Justice Mushir Alam, Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel would hear the suo moto action regarding combating the pandemic of coronavirus (COVID-19) on Tuesday.

The report said that more than Rs. 3.87 billion had been allocated in the budget for the purchase of vehicles in which Rs. 2 billion had been fixed for the purchase of police vehicles.

According to the report, more than Rs. 742 million had been allocated for the vehicles of the Board of Revenue while Rs. 293.790 million had been earmarked for the vehicles of law and parliamentary affaiRs. and judges.

Similarly, Rs. 134 million had been allocated for Agriculture Department and Rs. 69.181 million for Health while Rs. 632.256 million for other 27 departments.

The Sindh government in its report said that the annual budget of the province was estimated at Rs. 1241.1257 billion, the amount allocated for vehicles was 0.31pc of the total budget.

According to the report, the Sindh government banned the local manufacture vehicles and imported vehicles in June 24.

The Sindh government stated that the ban on new vehicles would apply to both development and non-development budgets.

The autority to lift the ban on the purchase of new vehicles as needed was subject to the approval of the provincial cabinet, it added.

The report further stated that the Sindh government had allocated Rs. 9.26 billion for vehicles out of which Rs. 790.56 million was spent during the last three financial years.

The Sindh government's report also detailed the three-year budget allocation for the expenditure.

The Sindh government has allocated Rs. 45.70 billion for the development of Karachi and the total cost of Karachi BRT project was Rs. 62.67 billion in which Rs. 1980 million had been earmarked this year.

According to the report, the Sindh government had allocated Rs. 21.82 billion for education.

The amount allocated for education was 13.6pc of the total development budget, it added. Similarly, the Sindh government had allocated Rs. 28.98 billion for health which was 18.76 percent of the total development budget.

The report said that Rs. 18.70 billion would be spent on water supply and drainage.

According to the report on Coronavirus pandemic, the number of corona cases in Sindh had increased from 72,656 to 111,238 from June 23 to July 17.

The report stated that the recovery rate of Corona patients in Sindh had reached 79pc, as 88,103 patients had recovered across the province while 1952 deaths had occurred.

The report stated that strict action was being taken against the sale of life-saving drugs at high prices in Sindh.

In this regard, the administration had imposed fines of Rs. 1.929 million.

According to the report, the Sindh government had extended the lockdown till August 15 and SOPs had been set up for Eid-ul-Adha.