Sindh cabinet amends motor vehicles law to facilitate rescue vehicles

KARACHI: The Sindh cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has approved amendments to the Section 82-A of Motor Vehicles Ordinance (MVO) to better facilitate ambulances or vehicles on emergency or rescue service duty.

The amendment to MVO titled “Duty to make way for emergency vehicle” that states that a driver of any vehicle involved in an emergency rescue situation shall be given clear uninterrupted and safe passage access and all the vehicles in the way shall slow down, move to the left or otherwise, make all possible efforts to give access to an emergency rescue vehicle or an ambulance with active warning lights and a siren.

The cabinet also approved the formation of private education board to conduct examinations of higher secondary education and drafted laws to refer to the assembly to assure that the home-based workers also are given rights in addition to the laws regarding environmental protection bodies.

The cabinet also made amendments in a bill regarding regularization of the contract veterinary doctors and referred it again to the assembly. The provincial legislature had earlier passed the bill and sent it to the governor for his approval, but the governor had sent the bill to the assembly to revisit the legislation.

The cabinet on Tuesday taking the recommendation of the selection committee into consideration appointed Executive director of National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) Prof Dr. Syed Nadeem Rizvi, for a term period of four years.

The draft law regarding Sindh Home-based Workers Act, 2018 states that every registered home-based worker involved in manufacturing and post-manufacturing process shall be entitled to social protection, medical benefits, grants and other privileges as available to a person falling within the meaning of workers and workman as envisaged in Sindh Industrial Act, 2013.

The cabinet approved the establishment of a 47-member Sindh Environmental Protection Council headed by environment minister also appointed retired justice Sadiq Hussain Bhatti chairperson of the Sindh Environmental Protection Tribunal for four years and approved the establishment of different committees such as industries, agriculture, and others.

The cabinet also approved the appointment of two members of the tribunal, Abdul Rauf Memon, deputy director (Tech) and Advocate Mohammad Arif as member legal.

The draft law also highlights Sindh Industries Registration Act, 2018 whose acts include registration/de-registration of the industrial undertaking, monitoring industrial waste, inspection of industries and pre-treatment of effluent.

The cabinet approved the act and referred it to the assembly.

The cabinet formed a committee focusing health department’s draft bill for regularisation of doctors and  paramedical staff appointed on contract basis.

The cabinet also approved the appointment of advocate Imran Malik, as Judge ATC Khairpur, while allowing  Manzoor Ahmed Qazi, Judge ATC Naushahro Feroze, to complete his remaining term.