KARACHI: 1,100 katchi abadis encroaching on government land
By Muzaffar Qureshi
KARACHI, Feb 21: The government has declared the 1,100 new katchi abadis set up in the city in the last few years as encroachments on government land, which will not be regularised, officials in the Katchi Abadi directorate said on Wednesday.
The officials said under the law they should be demolished. However, a proposal is under consideration to allot plots to residents of these abadis in the government’s ‘Sasti Basti’ scheme.
The cost of a 80 square yard plot in the scheme is Rs34,000. Rs4,000 is to be paid as advance and the rest in monthly instalments of Rs400.
The project envisages construction of 100 sasti bastis in Karachi. Each one will have a school, mosque, hospital, market and community centres besides the usual utilities. These sasti bastis will be constructed on land lying between Malir and Thatta along the National Highway. The Sindh government has provided Rs50 million as seed money for the project. Expenses incurred on development work will be met by the directorate with income received from sale of plots.
Meanwhile, a long-term plan is under consideration for the re-development of katchi abadis. Multi-storey buildings in katchi abadis will be built on the lines of a project for slum dewellers in Mumbai. The land thus vacated will be auctioned and the income used for development of civic amenities.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) has offered funds for launching an awareness programme in katchi abadis to teach residents how to use the civic amenities. It has asked the directorate to submit proposals in this regard.
