Govt plans low-cost housing scheme

Cabinet considers regularisation of slums, katchi abadi

KARACHI:

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, presiding over a cabinet meeting, decided to provide shelter to homeless people through a low-cost housing scheme and granted a 15 year upper age limit relaxation to differently-abled persons in government jobs.

It was also considered to regularise katchi abadis by extending the cut-off date. He directed the Sindh Katchi Abadis Authority to revisit the regularisation act and remove ambiguities if any, and table the agenda item in the next cabinet meeting.

The meeting was held at the CM House on Friday and attended by all the ministers, advisers, special assistants, new Sindh Chief Secretary Sohail Rajput, P&D Chairman Hassan Naqvi and concerned secretaries.

At the outset of the meeting, the chief minister said that with the effective strategy of the PPP leadership, a new government has come into power in the federal capital.

"This is a new era of cooperation, joint working and prosperity of the country," he said and directed his ministers to be more active in resolving public problems. P&D Chairman Hassan Naqvi, briefing the cabinet on the midyear review (MYR) of ADP 2021-22, said an overall Rs77.875 billion were released.

Of this, Rs 43.777 billion were utilised. He added that 825 out of 1,034 schemes would be completed during the current financial year.

The meeting was told that 235 schemes have been reported as unsatisfactory by P&D. To this, the chief minister directed the department not to release funds for these projects. He directed the departments concerned to examine the schemes declared as unsatisfactory and report back to him. "I'll not tolerate substandard works," the CM said.

Low-cost housing scheme

Sindh Katchi Abadis Authority floated a proposal in the cabinet to launch low-housing scheme at various locations in the province for homeless and needy people.

The cabinet was told that the SKAA has already launched sasti basti schemes in different locations of the province.

The cabinet approved the proposal and directed the Board of Revenue to identify lands all over Sindh for low cost housing schemes and simultaneously directed SKAA to prepare a plan to launch such initiatives.

SKA Act

The cabinet was told that Sindh Katchi Abadis Authority (SKA) have inventoried 1,448 unauthorised settlements existing partially or wholly on government land on or before 30 June 1987 for declaration as katchi abadis under the Act 1987.

At the same time, a large number of unauthorised settlements have been established after the present cut-off date that is June 30, 1997, which could not be regularised under the present law.

In order to provide relief to dwellers of those katchi abadies spread all over Sindh, there is a need to extend the cut-off-date for regularization of Katchi abadis in Sindh from 30 June 1997 to 31 December 2011. Therefore, the cabinet approved the amendment in the Sindh Katchi Abadis Act 1987.

Differently abled persons recruitment

A committee for appointment of all categories of differently-abled persons was constituted which presented their recommendations.

The committee has recommended changes/relaxations as part of the Recruitment Rules for Persons with Disabilities, keeping in mind the difficulties and hardships they are facing in the process of recruitment for implementation of the five per cent job quota.

The recommendations are as follows: The upper age limit for government jobs shall be relaxed by 15 years for candidates with disabilities.

For Persons with hearing impairment, the next lower grading will be considered as academic qualification compared to candidates without disabilities and for persons with intellectual disability, two grades lower academic qualification will be considered i.e. for persons without disabilities qualification is Graduate then for same job Matric will be academic qualification for persons with intellectual disabilities.

Conditions of experience shall not be compulsory for persons with disabilities as they are already deprived of jobs.