KARACHI, Sept 16: The Chief Minister, Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, has welcomed the prospect of foreign-funded housing schemes for low-income families in the province. He was speaking at a meeting in this regard, which he presided at the Chief Minister’s House on Thursday night, to discuss housing schemes for low-income families and labourers.

The schemes were proposed by an Austrian firm, which sent its Country Director, Mr Arnesd Shair Heuber, to brief the CM on its projects, a statement from the CM House said on Friday.

Mr Heuber told the chief minister that his firm was equipped with special technology and was working on housing schemes on a wide scale. He expressed interest to work in Pakistan, particularly in the Sindh province.

He said his firm was already working on housing schemes in Kuwait.

He proposed that his firm would initially build 500 housing units in the first phase. The scheme would be extended thereafter. These units would be provided to low-income families at minimum cost and on easy instalments, he said.

Mr Heuber said that material, labour and other equipment would be procured at the local level for the scheme.

Besides small houses, he said building of five-storeyed flats would also be undertaken.

The statement from the CM House said that Dr Arbab, after having heard the briefing, ordered concerned officials to draft a comprehensive report on the proposal, and carry out a feasibility study on areas near Karachi.

He directed the concerned officials to review the possibility of launching such schemes near Gharo and Nooriabad.

The government, he said, would provide land for the project where 80 and 120 sq-yards houses could be built keeping in view local needs and climate.

The House Building Finance Corporation would also be asked to provide loans to low-income families for the purpose, he said. The President of Nooriabad Association of Industries, Muhammad Hussain Dadabhoy, and Senator Muhammad Amin Dadabhoy would guide them.—PPI/APP