KARACHI, June 25: The governing body of the Sindh Katchi Abadis Authority (SKAA) on Saturday approved a Rs60.572 million budget at a meeting held under the chairmanship of the SKAA Chairman Waseem Akhtar. Director General of the SKAA Mir Nasir Abbas, briefing the governing body, said that the new budget showed an increase of Rs6.79 million as against the previous year’s budget of Rs53.782 million.

He said that Rs43.162 million was earmarked for non-developmental expenditure and Rs17.41 million would be spent on development works.

The SKAA is a self-financing organization as no funds are demanded from the government. The work on granting of lease to more than 33 katchi abadis will be completed during the next financial year, while the work in hand will be expedited, for which special teams have been constituted. The teams would carry out lease work in katchi abadis in evening hours, particularly on Sundays.

The official said that an amount of Rs55.572 million was expected to be recovered through regularization and lease grant.

Mir Nasir said that more housing schemes would be prepared for low-income group whereas pace of work on the ongoing schemes in Kotri, Gharo, Sukkur, Larkana and Jacobabad would be geared up.

Mr Waseem Akhtar issued directive to the SKAA director-general to expedite the process of regularization. He said that low-cost housing schemes should also be prepared with a view to contain expansion of katchi abadis.

The meeting was attended, among others, by DCO Fazlur Rehman, Special Secretary Local Government Ishaq Lashari and representatives of the DCOs of Sukkur and Larkana.—APP