KARACHI: In the light of earlier orders of the Supreme Court, the compliance reports about removal of encroachments from all government lands across the province and rehabilitation of those displaced due to the demolition drive around three nullahs of the city were filed in the apex court on Thursday.

The Sindh Board of Revenue in its report stated that its officials along with the deputy commissioners concerned and other officers had so far retrieved 91 per cent of encroached land of forest department, 75 per cent of irrigation department and 54 per cent of land owned by other departments and agencies of the federal, provincial and local governments.

It maintained that 84 cases had also been registered aga­inst encroachers and land-grabbers which were being vigorously pursued by the DCs concerned before tribunals while the anti-encroachment force had been placed under the command of the respective DCs for all operational and administrative purposes till the compliance of the apex court’s order passed last month.

Another report, filed by the secretary of local government and housing and town planning department, asse­rted that in the light of apex court order passed in June, a summary regarding rehabilitation of 6,500 affected people had been approved by the chief minister as well as by the provincial cabinet.

The PC-I has been prepared for resettlement comprising construction of two rooms dwellings on 60 squ­a­re yards plots in Scheme No.45 Taiser Town,. Howe­ver, the Provincial Develo­pment Working Party (PDWP) had asked for making some minor changes in the PC-I. The Malir Devel­opment Authority has prepared a modified PC-I and the same would be placed before the PDWP in the coming week for administrative approval, it added.

The report further maintained that after the appr­oval, the MDA would initiate the tendering process.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2021