Director General Sindh Katchi Abadies Authority (SKAA) Mir Nasir Abbas said on Thursday that the government was thoroughly discussing to develop low-cost housing schemes in Sindh province, especially in major cities to curb increasing trend of creating katchi abadis in the province. As far as role of SKAA in regularising the declared katchi abadis in Karachi is concerned, it was trying to develop effective links and consultation with non-government organisations (NGOs), local and international, to exchange experience to introduce proper policy and planning to solve the issue, he added.
At a discussion on Radio Pakistan, the DG said only regularisation of katchi abadis was not a problem, as the government was planing for socio economic development of these slum areas, including easy access to potable water, providing sanitation system, electricity, schools, healthcare centres and proper streets.
The DG suggested to hold national conference to discuss the issue of fast growing katchi abadis, politicising the issue, its' regularisation and socio economic development as it might be the national catastrophe in future.
Representatives of Federal, provincial and district governments, land owning agencies, including Board of Revenue, Railways, Irrigation, district governments and other stakeholders should also be invited to settle the issue properly, he added.
The DG Katchi Abadis realised that the land owning agencies were looking careless to look after their properties. Hence, the vested interests and land mafia, with connivance of law enforcement agencies' personnel and local bodies representatives, occupying these abandoned plots, manipulating documents and selling them to others, which has created problems for the government.
"In fact, it is a lucrative business and it needs proper management to counter this activity and those involved in this illegal business should be handled strictly," he emphasised.
"We have advised the government as well as land owning agencies to conduct a comprehensive survey of such abandoned lands, illegal slum areas to take effective steps against the people involved in this lucrative business," he said.
There are 1293 katchi abadis in Sindh, including 540 in Karachi.
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