Resolution of housing problems of journalists’ fraternity a priority: Ghani

Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani has said the Sindh government of the Pakistan Peoples Party has always prioritised provision of residential plots to resolve the housing problems of the journalists’ community in addition to other assistance given to the media persons.

He stated this on Thursday while meeting a four-member delegation from the Karachi Press Club led by its President Fazil Jamili. The delegation comprised KPC Secretary Sohail Afzal Kham, Vice-President Irshad Khokhar, and Treasurer Imran Ayub.

The meeting was also attended by Special Secretary of the Sindh Local Government Department Ayesha Hameed, directors general of the Lyari Development Authority (LDA) and Malir Development Authority (MDA), and senior officials. The KPC president briefed the meeting about issues related to 80 per cent payment of the cost of the plots given to journalists at Taiser Town under the jurisdiction of the MDA, allotment of plots to 700 leftover members of the KPC, and transfer of land by the deputy commissioner of District Keamari.

The minister informed the KPC delegation that the Sindh government had taken all the required steps to pay 80 per cent of the cost of the plots given to journalists in the jurisdictions of the LDA and MDA and carry out development works in the same housing projects for media persons.

He said the last provincial budget didn’t contain any new development schemes. However, the LDA had prepared a PC-1 for carrying out development works in the Hawke’s Bay housing area. He said the same PC-1 would be included in the Annual Development Programme for the upcoming financial year.

Ghani told the KPC leadership that the provincial government had reserved land to give plots to 700 new members of the press club. He said draws for allotment of new plots would be conducted after the KPC verified the particulars of its leftover members.

He asked the officials concerned that the new ADP of the Sindh government should include the development schemes for the journalists’ housing facility in the Hawke’s Bay area of the LDA. The LDA DG told the delegation that land had been arranged to give plots to leftover 700 KPC members.

Ghani said the verification of the leftover 700 members of the press club should be carried out in a manner that no journalist should get a residential plot facility from the Sindh government for the second time.

The MDA DG informed the meeting that a summary would be sent after approval from the authority’s governing body to the Sindh government’s Finance Department for 80 per cent cost payment of the plots given to the journalists.

He assured the delegation that this issue would be resolved expeditiously. He said the development works in the housing facility would be carried out on a priority basis as soon as the government provided its share of funds for these plots. He told the delegation that he would meet the revenue minister to resolve the mutation of land issues about the Keamari District deputy commissioner.