KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly on Friday unanimously passed The Sindh Katchi Abadis (Amendment) Bill, 2022, that extended cut-off date for the regularisation of shanty towns in the province from June 30, 1997 to Dec 31, 2011.

After the passage of the amended law, the settlements found existing up to Dec 31, 2011 would be regularised as under the earlier criteria the katchi abadis registered till June 1997 could be regularised.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla presented the bill for passage and informed the house that the amendment to the law was needed to provide relief to dwellers of the katchi abadis.

He said that it was just a minor amendment as the cut-off date for regularising katchi abadis was being extended to December 2011.

“As per the previous law, only the katchi abadis registered till June 1997 could be given regularised status. This bill will benefit the residents of katchi abadis,” he added.

Meanwhile, the minister also introduced five government bills — The Sindh Lawyers’ Welfare and Protection Bill, 2021; The Sindh Higher Education (Amendment) Bill, 2021; The Sindh Metalliferous Mines Bill, 2021; The Sindh Healthcare Service Providers and Facilities (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Bill, 2021; and The Sindh Manzil-e-Sukoon Authority Bill, 2022.

All the bills were sent to the standing committees concerned for further deliberations.

50 MGD more water for Orangi Town

In reply to a call attention notice of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan lawmaker Sadaqat Hussain, parliamentary secretary for local government Saleem Baloch said that Orangi Town was getting the same amount of water — 100 million of gallon per day (MGD) — from Hub Dam for the past 50 years.

He said that the provincial government was taking measures to increase quota of the locality by 50 MGD.

The parliamentary secretary said that population of Orangi Town had increased rapidly over the past 50 years but its water quota had not been enhanced.

He said the canal that provided water to Orangi Town from Hub Dam was being revamped and 50 MGD more water would be provided to the settlement.

In his notice, the MQM-P lawmaker pointed out that there was unavailability of water in Orangi Town and people were at the mercy of tanker mafia in the inflation-hit era that piled miseries on residents.

He asked as to what steps had been taken by the provincial government to resolve the issue.

‘Govt fully prepared for monsoon spells’

Responding to another call attention notice moved by Jamaluddin Siddiqui of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Saleem Baloch assured the house that the local governments were fully prepared for the monsoon spell and people would not face hardships during the rains.

“The authorities were able to manage well during the rains last year and the people will not face difficulties this year too. You should enjoy the monsoon season,” an optimistic parliamentary secretary told to the PTI lawmaker.

Earlier, parliamentary secretary for health Qasim Soomro claimed that 100 per cent people of the age group who had to be vaccinated for Covid-19 had been immunised for the deadly virus.

Briefing the house on spread of coronavirus cases, Mr Soomro said that Sindh had become the first province where all the people who had to be given coronavirus vaccination jabs were immunised. “Total 28pc people had also received booster dose,” he added.

The parliamentary secretary said that ample doses of vaccine were available with the provincial government. “We are thinking to vaccinate children above five years of age,” he added.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2022