KARACHI, April 17: The city government’s fire brigade department has a staff of 954. As of January this year, it had 31 fire tenders in working condition, besides the snorkel which was purchased in 1988 and currently undergoing major repair.
This information was given by Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim to the Sindh Assembly in his written reply during the question hour on Monday. The question was asked Ms Nasreen Chandio.
Minister for Planning and Development Shoaib Ahmed Bukhari, replying to supplementary questions on behalf of the chief minister, said that at present Karachi had nine fire brigade stations, whereas plans were afoot to establish more such stations to meet the city’s increasing requirements.
He said the government would provide fire engines to all districts of Sindh during 2006-07. Mr Bukhari pointed out that the only snorkel the city possessed had been purchased during the tenure of Dr Farooq Sattar as mayor and nobody since then had taken pain to add another one.
The present city government, he said, was going to purchase three snorkels, - one with a capacity of reaching a height of 140 feet and the two others of 65 feet each. Besides, fire tenders for various towns would be purchased as per their requirement.
He said the existing strength of the fire brigade staff was inadequate. To increase the same, the chief minister would be requested to relax the ban on employment and grant permission for recruitment.
Replying another question by the same member, the chief minister said that the city government had not given the Zoological Garden and Safari Park on contract. It was managing their affairs by itself, he added.
During the financial year 2004-05, an amount of Rs 20.062 million was collected at the Zoological Garden whereas the total expenditure incurred stood at Rs25.876 million. At Safari Park, the amount collected during the fiscal stood at Rs5.862 million and expenditure at Rs6.102 million.
He said that efforts are being made to bring more animals to Zoological Garden to attract a higher number of people who had become fed up of seeing the years-old animals kept there.
Answering a question asked by Hafiz Mohammed Naeem Shamozai, the chief minister told the house that the process of granting lease to dwellers of katchi abadis in Karachi was continuing in accordance with the procedure laid down under the Sindh Katchi Abadis Act 1987 and its Regulations-1993.
Replying various supplementary questions on behalf of the chief minister, Shoaib Bukhari said that Jumma Goth was not a katchi abadi, but encroachment set up by certain Afghan nationals.
According to the 1983 survey of Karachi, there are 803 goths, half of which have been granted lease. There are 526 katchi abadis which are being granted lease.
Regarding lease, he said that the maximum charges for lease of a residential unit would be Rs25, 30 and 40 while for industrial plots, the charges would be Rs500 and above.—APP
