• Murad Ali Shah told the visiting donor agency’s delegation that his government has formed a housing company
• He added that his government had appointed Khalid Shaikh as the first CEO of the company as per the requirement of the World Bank.
• Murad Ali Shah said that he had put Rs500 seed money in the company and its Board of Directors (BoDs) was being nominated.

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in his meeting with the World Bank delegation led by its Country Director Najy Benhassine discussed the provision of targeted subsidies to the small growers for agricultural inputs such as seed and fertiliser so that they could plant their upcoming rabi crop, particularly the wheat.

“Our government is keen to rehabilitate and strengthen growers, particularly the small ones so that their submerged agricultural lands could be made fit for plantation,” the chief minister said and added the growers had suffered a huge loss during the Kharif crops in which their standing crops were washed away.

Murad Shah said that $100 million may be allocated for the agricultural subsidy for the Rabi crops which was agreed upon in the meeting, however, Minister Agriculture Manzoor Wassan was directed by the CM to hold a departmental meeting with the Agriculture Sector Experts of the World Bank for developing modalities.

Construction of houses: CM Syed Murad Ali Shah told the visiting donor agency’s delegation that his government has formed a housing company that had been registered with the Securities Exchange Company Pakistan (SECP). He added that his government had appointed Khalid Shaikh as the first CEO of the company as per the requirement of the World Bank.

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Murad Ali Shah said that he had put Rs500 seed money in the company and its Board of Directors (BoDs) was being nominated.

It may be noted that the World Bank, in principle, had already agreed to provide Rs110 billion to start the reconstruction of the houses that collapsed during the heavy rains and floods.

The Sindh chief minister said that the floods had collapsed/damaged 1.8 million houses as per the initial survey and a proper survey was underway.

Irrigation: The meeting discussed the rehabilitation of the Irrigation system damaged by heavy rains/floods for which $370 million had been agreed.

CM Murad said that the flood protection bund, Manchhar Lake, various other embankments, regulators of canals, and drainage systems had been damaged badly by the floods. “We, have to prepare for the next year’s monsoon season by strengthening their banks, repairing regulators and drainage systems,” he said and added that his government wanted to take such overhauling works on a priority basis.

The World Bank team told the Sindh government that the PC-1 of the projects should be prepared and approved by the provincial and federal governments’ concerned forums so that they could be considered for approval in the World Bank board scheduled to be held in December.

The chief minister directed his team to prepare and approve the necessary documents to meet the World Bank’s deadline.

Water supply: Murad Ali Shah, and the World Bank Country Chief Najy discussed a water supply project of $94 million. Under the project, the water supply schemes damaged during the floods would be rehabilitated or revamped.

The meeting agreed to finalise the modalities of the project so that it could be started.