Low-cost housing scheme planned

For the first time in Sindh, plans are under way to launch a ‘low-cost housing scheme’ for the poor. The project is part of the prime minister’s programme. At least 300 acres have been identified by the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) revenue department. Notification about this land will be sent soon to the Sindh board of revenue, the newly-appointed Executive District Officer (EDO) Revenue, Sajjad Hussain Abbasi, told The News.

Abbasi said that 10 acres each have been identified in Keamari, Gadap and Bin Qasim towns. The prime miniter, the EDO revenue said, is keen to provide houses to the poor, and work on this scheme is in process. Various modalities have to be discussed with agencies concerned.

The scheme will also be presented to Sindh Local Government (LG) Minister Agha Siraj Durrani and City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal. After approval from the Board of Revenue, the land will be handed over to the CDGK Works and Services EDO who has the task oversee the building of houses in the area.

Abbasi said that the quantity of houses to be built has not been decided yet, but hastily added that these houses will be provided through a ballot scheme. It may be noted that the city government has not been able to provide any housing schemes to the people of Karachi.

Meanwhile, the city nazim had recently announced a scheme in the Lyari Development Authority (LDA). In the past, such schemes were announced by the defunct Karachi Development Authority (KDA), the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), and also Taiser Town. When the Lyari Expressway was launched, the people living at the river bank were provided alternate plots in Taiser Town but this was done by the federal government, not the CDGK.

Moreover, Abbasi said, under all these circumstances, encroachment is the leading problem of Karachi, and vacant land belonging to the state has to be protected. A proposal is therefore under study, the EDO Revenue said, to look at ways to retain vacated land and keep it safe from the land mafia. The proposal will be submitted to the nazim for approval.