KARACHI, March 18: Sindh Revenue Minister Dr Irfan Gul Magsi has said the government is pursuing a policy to regularise all old villages under Gothabad Scheme under which the residents of old villages are not only being issued certificates of property rights but also being provided all basic facilities.

Talking to a group of journalists, he said in the first phase government had started implementation of the scheme in five districts of the province where residents of 6,616 villages were being provided property rights. After regularisation of villages in Tharparker, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Naushero Feroze and Tando Allahyar, goths in other districts would be regularised. He said there were 803 old goths in Karachi which would soon be regularised.

He pointed out that the government was pursuing a policy to facilitate entrepreneurs in allotment of lands for setting up industries and provide them all basic amenities without any hassle to put the province on the road to progress and prosperity.

Mr Magsi said the government would welcome investment, particularly in agriculture related industries as 70 per cent economy of the province was based on agriculture. Setting up dairy farming and related industries would help in earning precious foreign exchange as there were vast opportunities of its export abroad.

Replying to a question, he said the government had devised a strategy to restore all those lands to the government which were encroached upon by land mafias through fake documents and entries. The government was determined to protect its land by all means, he added.

He said all the complaints received by the revenue department were being investigated and would be decided in the light of legal framework in a transparent manner.