KARACHI: Ministers and other members of the Sindh cabinet on Saturday held open kachehries in various parts of the teeming provincial capital in which the participating citizens informed them about a host of issues they were confronting on routine basis, officials in the government said.

They added that most of the complaints narrated by the people of different neighbourhoods pertained to the police and municipal facilities.

Officials said the open kachehries had been made routine on the instructions of ruling Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah.

Ministers Ismail Rahu and Nasir Shah and adviser to CM Aijaz Jakhrani were among those ministers, who presided over kachehries along with government and police officials concerned.

Minister Rahu held the kachehry in Gulshan-i-Maymar. Officials said that the minister and officials he was flanked with were flooded with complaints that were relating to increasing problems in the neighbourhood.

The participants also complained against the government officials concerned who generally did not entertain their complaints.

Later, speaking to reporters, Mr Rahu said the provincial government ministers, advisers and special assistants would hold open kachehries across the province every month.

“Open kachehry is a great tool to contact the people directly; listen to their grievances and hold those accountable who do not do the job they are employed for.”

He warned the officials of stern action if they failed to solve people’s problems.

He said most of the complaints he received during the open kachehry in Maymar were against the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board and the police department.

Similarly, Local Government Minister Nasir Shah held an open kachehry in Karachi East district’s Sachal Goth where he directed the chairman of the District Municipal Corporation, deputy commissioner and senior police officials to resolve the problems they received from the people of the area.

He later spoke with reporters that it was the job of the provincial government to equally serve the people of Sindh, which included the constituencies where the ruling party did not get majority of votes.

“We serve everyone in Sindh since we believe that people who have not voted for us in previous elections could vote for us next time keeping in view the manner we serve them,” said Minister Shah.

He said most complaints he received related to deficient supply of water and delays in repairs of streets. Besides, he added, people also complained against K-Electric and those issues would be resolved after consulting the sole power provider in the metropolis.

He said the issue of leasing of land also came to the fore for which the chief minister had ordered conducting a survey of lands again that would resolve the problem once and for all.

“That survey will benefit the legal owners of those plots and will help control the land mafia.”

He said the provincial government was committed not to render anyone homeless.

Transport Minister Awais Shah held a kachehry in Malir district, Memon Goth, where most of the complaints he received pertained to rampant encroachment by powerful land mafias.

The minister directed the district police officers to remove all sorts of encroachments in the neighbourhood.

Adviser to CM on Prisons Aijaz Jakhrani presided over a kachehry in Korangi district, where most of complaints he received were against police and officials belonging to various departments of the government and municipalities.

Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2020