Ivory towers : CM rules out compensation for houses built on encroached land, river banks

Khattak visits localities near Budhni nullah.

PESHAWAR: The city had only recently witnessed many drives against encroachments and the warnings were not void of reason. Though, without affordable housing options, the threat of eviction did not come with alternate solutions, leaving the city in the throes of a catch-22.

After vising localities hit by high floods in Budhni nullah, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak said of the houses that were washed away or damaged by the floods, compensation would not be given for structures on encroached land or on the bank of a river or nullah.

“Residents who built their houses on encroached land were given notices that expired on Monday but they have not vacated their houses so the government will remove them now,” said the CM after his visit to the areas on Monday. He added all kinds of encroachments from the sides of the nullah should be removed so that loss of life can be avoided in case of high floods in future. Khattak said a meeting is scheduled with the district government to plan for the demolition of such houses.



“If you construct your house on the bank of a river it will obviously be washed away during floods.”

When asked if Bacha Khan Markaz which was located on the bank of the nullah would be demolished as well, the CM replied even his party’s secretariat would not be spared if it were built on an encroached land.

Determined

The CM was asked if he could guarantee there would be no floods next year in the nullah; he replied he could only make sure there would be no encroachments, the rest was not in his control.

The Khattak administration has been criticised for doing nothing but according to the man in question, he spent three days in the district along with the chief secretary, secretaries and other senior officers of all departments and supervised the relief activities.

“As we don’t have any helicopters, the army is transporting relief items from the federal as well as provincial governments for which we are grateful,” said Khattak. He added the presence of provincial government cannot be seen as they do not wear any uniform. Provincial Disaster Management Authority, Rescue 1122 and the district management along with senior officials of all departments were in Chitral and involved in relief activities, he added.

When asked about reconstruction in Chitral, Khattak said Frontier Works Organisation has been given the responsibility to reconstruct and rehabilitate the damaged infrastructure and areas; funds have been given to them for the task.

He maintained the provincial government was not short of funds but if someone wanted to help their contribution would be welcomed. A day earlier, the provincial information minister had made an appeal to the Centre for more funds.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 28^th, 2015.