People whose houses will be demolished to be provided rent for two years, says Nasir

The residents of houses to be demolished in anti-encroachment drives will be provided house rent for two years.

Sindh Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah made this promise on Sunday as he paid a visit to the Mehmoodabad Nullah where a major anti-encroachment operation is scheduled to start today (Monday).

The minister said that after the Mehmoodabad nullah, encroachments would be removed from other areas in Karachi as well.

He also announced that the Sindh government was planning a housing scheme where the people affected by anti-encroachment drives would be given a priority.

All the stakeholders, he said, were on the same page for the removal of encroachments from the city.

Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Administrator Laeeq Ahmed, former UC chairman Farhan Ghani, Karamullah Waqasi, Sardar Nazakat Ali and departmental heads of the corporation were also present on the

occasion.

Shah said the KMC administrator and District Municipal Corporations (DMCs) had been tasked with uplifting the infrastructure of the city. Responding to a question, he remarked that the entire country suffered the earlier night due to power breakdown owing to incompetence of the federal government.

The provincial minister confirmed that big encroachments, including houses, would be removed from the Mehmoodabad nullah from Monday onwards. He added that roads would be constructed on both sides of the drain after the removal of encroachments.

The provincial government was not happy in demolishing houses of people but there was no other way, he said.

Shah also stated that the lives of people residing along the drains were under threat. He added that the government was taking measures to ensure the drainage of rainwater in the monsoon season.

He explained that consultancy of projects of Mehmoodabad, Gujjar and other nullahs had been given to NED University. The Sindh government had also signed a contract with the World Bank through which encroachments had to be removed, he added.

After directives of the Supreme Court, Shah said, the encroachment removal drive was being carried out smoothly as earlier, the encroachers would get stay orders from lower courts.

He said the KMC administrator had been tasked with cancelling illegal leases.

The minister remarked that the last local government had approved unnecessary schemes as the KMC was facing a financial crunch.

Shah said the Pakistan Peoples Party-led Sindh government was carrying out development works without discrimination as works were also being carried out in those areas where the party had not got votes. He also thanked the federal government for providing fire tenders to the KMC fire brigade.