Senate body on Cabinet meets

Islamabad, 09 February, 2023 (Online): The Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat in its meeting on Thursday, at Parliament House, Islamabad passed the National Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2022 with amendments that was introduced by Senator SemeeEzdi. Chairman Committee, Senator Rana Maqbool Ahmed lauded the bill and the efforts to bring forward a comprehensive document that will play an important role in streamlining the efforts for disaster management and will prove a binding provision for the Commission to meet at least once every three months.

The meeting was Chaired by Senator Rana Maqbool Ahmed and attended by Senator SeemeeEzdi, Senator KhalidaAteeb, Senator SaifullahSarwar Khan Nyazee, Senator Mohammad Akram, Senator Syed Waqar Mehdi, Senator Bahramand Khan Tangi, Senator Abdul Qadir along with senior officers of the Cabinet and Establishment Division, OGRA.

Discussing the Special Technology Zones Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2022 introduced by Senator Abdul Qadir, the Committee recommended that in order to ensure that political leadership finds sound advice a committee must be formed that will take members of Parliament (one from Senate and one from the National Assembly) as well as a member of the Provincial Assembly on board. Lauding the recommendations made, Chairman Committee Senator Rana Maqbool Ahmed stressed the need to ensure proposal feasibility, and thereby ensuring members hold relevant experience and knowledge in the field along with impeccable integrity.

While considering the ToshaKhana (Management and Regulation) Bill, 2022, the Committee was of the view that it was a good collaborative effort with good intentions that will outline the etiquettes for ToshaKhana. Chairman Committee Senator Rana Maqbool Ahmed directed the Ministry to review the Bill and its various clauses in detail and submit it to the Committee with recommendations for deliberation within a week.

Deliberating over the briefing regarding LPG blast incidents in the country, the Committee stressed the need for legislation to ensure regulation of the Industry. It was asserted that in order to make LPG usage safe in the country, it is essential that all LPG manufacturing companies come under the ambit of OGRA. The Committee agreed that heavy fines are enforced on those companies that fail to comply. Stringent policing against perpetrators and follow-ups of registered cases were recommended. Chairman Committee Senator Rana Maqbool Ahmed directed that details of all incidents along with follow-up action may be presented to the Committee within 15 days.