KARACHI, April 30: The pace of resettlement work for those displaced because of construction of Lyari Expressway, was reviewed on Wednesday at a meeting, which expressed its satisfaction over provision of basic facilities such as power, water, and transport to the affected people.

According to a press release of Lyari Expressway resettlement project of the city government, a meeting presided over by the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission of Pakistan, Shahid Amjad, was held to review the pace of the resettlement work.

Additional chief secretary, planning and development, Sindh, Ghluam Sarwar Khero, deputy chief, planning division, Islamabad, Rana Shahid Iqbal, advisor on planning commission, Islamabad, Shaikh Murtaza, and other officials concerned also attended the meeting.

Mr Amjad informed the meeting that the aim of resettlement was not only to acquire land for the construction of Lyari Expressway but to shift the people to a better place, as the environment along the Lyari River bed was hazardous to their health.

He said the government wanted to improve the people’s quality of life besides providing the affected people residential plots on proprietary basis, where they could bring up their children in a healthy environment.

He asked the meeting to make efforts to develop a model residential area, where facilities like schools, hospitals, water and sanitation would be available to the residents. It could be done at all three sites; Baldia, Hawksbay and Deh Teesar, with the help of displaced people, he added.

Mr Amjad, along with other officials visited the settlement at Hawksbay and directed that all the projects for resettlement be completed as early as possible.

He also visited a shopping centre in the new settlement, where job opportunities were provided to the people. He exchanged views with the shopkeepers and expressed his satisfaction over the feedback.

He said that the mutual cooperation of the government and the resettlers could convert these new settlements into healthy and progressive localities.