KARACHI: Ibad tells mafia to vacate land: Housing problems
KARACHI, July 18: The Sindh governor, Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan, has called for activating long pending new housing projects and removal of encroachments from land meant for residential and industrial purposes.
Presiding over a high-level meeting at the Governor House regarding housing problems on Saturday, Ibad warned land grabbers to voluntarily give up their illegal occupation of land or else get ready face strict action.
The meeting was attended by Advisor on Local Government Waseem Akhtar, Advisor on Information Salahuddin Haider, Additional Chief Secretary, Local Government Muhammad Saleem Khan, Amirzada Kohati of Malir Development Authority and other officials.
The Taisar Town scheme, which was inaugurated by the Governor on July 16, was also reviewed in detail. Advisor on Local Government Waseem Akhtar informed that Taisar Town scheme had been suffering from stalemate for the last 18 years, and credit for restarting the scheme went to the governor.
He said the governor was continuously emphasising upon activating Surjani Town and other pending schemes. He suggested the City District Government of Karachi (CDGK) to introduce low-cost housing schemes for people and to protect precious land from being grabbed by the mafia, while assuring provincial government's every possible cooperation in that regard.
Muhammad Saleem Khan, on the occasion, said that Taisar Town was the last scheme of defunct KDA, and Governor Ibad while taking cognizance of the housing problems of low-income people, especially got dead schemes such as the said scheme re-activated.
The project director, Amirzada Kohati, while giving details of the scheme, informed the meeting that on the governor's directive, the number of proposed plots were increased, and 70 per cent of land was reserved for 80 and 120 sq yard plots.
He said the scheme spread over 20,570 acres, was estimated to have a population of 0.4 million. Kohati said that plots had also been earmarked for educational institutions, hawkers market, teaching hospital, poly-clinics, fire brigade, parking areas, food square, graveyard, cottage industry, oxidation plant etc.
The governor issued directive for far reaching arrangements with regard to water, electricity, sewerage disposal etc and said more than one exit routes and wider roads should be planned.
He welcomed the preparation of approved models of houses and plans for the guidance of people, and hoped that this would save people from visiting offices and paper complications for getting their plans approved.
He pointed out that owning a house was the need and desire of every person, and realising this need, President Pervez Musharraf had given approval to new housing schemes.
Referring to the Malir Housing Project, Ibad pointed out that the said scheme too was in doldrums for many years and those affected were withdrawing their money.
He said that on his directive, officials of the authority, restarted the scheme ahead of the assigned target, and some 33,000 allottees were given physical possession of their plots.
The governor appreciated the efforts of MDA's functionaries for the progress achieved with respect to Malir Housing and Taisar Town schemes. Dr Ishratul Ibad also stressed on implementing his directive for allotting a special sector for journalists and said that a strategy in this regard should be expeditiously chalked out.
He said the government would ensure the provision of residential facilities throughout the province, and plans in this regard for low cost housing schemes in every district, including facilities for journalists and government employees would be implemented in letter and spirit. - APP
