SC tells Sindh govt to finalise estimated cost of 80-sq-yard house construction

The Supreme Court directed the Sindh government on Monday to complete the process of finalising the estimated cost of construction of houses over 80 square yards plots within two months in a case pertaining to the rehabilitation of the families affected by the demolition of their homes along Gujjar and Orangi nullahs.

During a hearing of applications seeking implementation of the court orders in the Gujjar and Orangi nullahs rehabilitation case, a two-member bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar was informed by the advocate general of Sindh that in compliance with a court order a letter had been communicated to chairman of the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) to furnish the estimated cost of construction of 80-square yard houses.

The AG submitted that requirements of the construction with specification for a house on the ground floor will be forwarded by the Sindh government to the PEC. The chief secretary said he would request the PEC chairman to give its opinion within three weeks, excluding the Eid holidays.

He submitted that once the opinion on the estimated cost was received by the government of Sindh, a copy would be provided to petitioners’ counsel. He said that the PEC would call a meeting of the representatives of the Sindh government and the petitioners within a period of two weeks, and after that meeting the final estimated cost would be issued by the PEC.

The court directed the provincial government to complete the entire process within the period of two months. It was also informed that certain affected persons whose names have already been mentioned in the verification list of IDs regarding the Gujjar Nallah affectees on April 5, 2023 had not been accommodated.

The additional advocate general submitted that such affected people may approach the focal person of the chief secretary for verification, and if they are found real affectees they will be accommodated.

The court directed the petitioners’ counsel to approach the chief secretary’s focal person about people whose names were not mentioned in the list of the Gujjar Nullah affectees for verification.

The SC had earlier asked the affected families displaced due to the anti-encroachment operations along the Gujjar and Orangi nullahs to consider two new proposals by the Sindh government with regard to their rehabilitation scheme.

The provincial government had offered the 6,932 affectees to either collect an amount for the purchase of land and cost of construction as per the market value of the land from where they were dispossessed or take an 80-square-yard plot in the Malir Development Authority along with funds for construction in accordance with standards set out by the Pakistan Engineering Council.

A non-governmental organisation and affected people of Gujjar and Orangi nullahs had moved the apex court against the failure of the provincial government to comply with an earlier order for providing them suitable compensation as their houses had been razed during operations to widen the two drains

They had filed a contempt-of-court application against then chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, submitting that the SC had clearly directed the provincial government to rehabilitate and compensate the affected people within two years.