ISLAMABAD: The Cabinet has decided to place Sindh Infrastructure Development Company Limited (SIDCL) under Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives for one year in spite of strong opposition by its Secretary, Mathar Niaz Rana, well-informed sources told Business Recorder.
On October 20, 2020, the Cabinet Division revealed that the Sindh Infrastructure Development Company Limited (SIDCL), previously KIDCL, is a public limited company established in June, 2015, under Section 32 of the Companies Ordinance, 1984, to undertake mega infrastructure projects in Karachi.
In February, 2019, the administrative control of the Company was shifted from the Ministry of Communications to the Cabinet Division. Owing to enhanced scope of the Company to build infrastructure in the province of Sindh rather than Karachi alone, its nomenclature was accordingly changed from KIDCL to SIDCL in 2019.
On August 28, 2020, a presentation on current portfolio and activities of the SIDCL was given to the Prime Minister, in the Prime Minister's Office. The Governor Sindh, Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives and Communications also participated.
During the discussion, it was agreed, in principle, that SIDCL may be placed under some other relevant Ministry/Division having the requisite technical expertise, especially in project management and monitoring & evaluation, to better manage the portfolio in accordance with the mandate of SIDCL, which is likely to increase further in future. The Prime Minister, on a summary moved by the Cabinet Division, had directed to place the case before the Federal Cabinet for amendment in the Rules of Business, 1973 to transfer the SIDCL from the Cabinet Division to the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives at the earliest.
The Cabinet Division sought the approval of the Federal Cabinet to place the SIDCL under the administrative control of the Planning, Development & Special Initiatives Division, and make necessary amendments in Schedule-II of the Rules of Business, 1973, accordingly.
During the discussion, Secretary Planning, Development & special Initiatives Division, expressed reservations that the Division did not have any field formation to effectively oversee the implementation of infrastructure projects; some members argued that the Communications Division was the most appropriate Division for placement of SIDCL.
Minister for Communications disagreed with this view, citing that the scope of SIDCL had been enhanced to undertake ' the projects of irrigation, public health etc., for which Communication Division had no expertise. Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives suggested that his Division could control the company for one year and thereafter its retention with Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Division or transfer to some appropriate Division could be reviewed.
After detailed discussion, the Cabinet approved the placement of SIDCL under the administrative control of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives Division for a period of one year. Thereafter a review will be made to either continue with this arrangement or transfer SIDCL to some other appropriate Division. The Cabinet Division would, accordingly, make an amendment to the Rules of Business 1973.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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