KARACHI, Dec 2: To check the mushroom growth of illegal buildings in the city and to deal with the land mafia with an iron hand, the government has decided to authorize the city government to promulgate revised building bylaws, PPI learnt here on Sunday.

The government has also advised the city government to design special programmes for the development of urban areas. In the course of the past nine years, since 1992, in the absence of local government, land-grabbers have grown into a mafia with the help and connivance of police and other civic agencies. So far the government.

Sources said the government had instructed the city government to pursue a line of action that included development works related to public health and provision of basic necessities.

The sources said besides giving powers to promulgate revised building bylaws, the city government had been instructed to assure proper use of land by carving zones, classification and reclassification of land.

“Special instructions have been issued to the city government for the provision of recreational facilities to the people in the form of pubic parks, playgrounds and sport facilities.

“The government is taking up matters pertaining to urban housing development, including urban improvement and upgrading and urban renewal and redevelopment, with special care to preserve historical and cultural monuments. Libraries, museums and art galleries would be paid special attention,” the sources said.

The city government planned to improve conditions of markets and commercial centres. Special measures would be taken for the conservation of historical and cultural assets and landscape, monuments and municipal ornamentation, the sources added.

The city government would also undertake environmental control, including control of air, water, and soil pollution, in accordance with federal and provincial laws, would be undertaken, the sources said.—PPI