Steel Mills seeks SIFC help to retrieve occupied land
Actual steel consumption within the Non-Metered Districts is a mere 2% of Pakistan’s total steel consumption, indicating that around 92% of the steel produced in NMDs is being smuggled to settled areas without the payment of sales tax. photo: file
The administration of Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) has appealed to the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to help retrieve thousands of acres of its land taken over by encroachers.
In a letter addressed to the Ministry of Industries and Production, the PSM administration has sought the SIFC intervention to reclaim the land unlawfully occupied and to address issues related to the allotment of land without proper mutation by various departments of the Sindh government.
The letter stresses the need for the ministry to engage in discussions with the Sindh government to resolve land disputes worth billions of rupees concerning PSM. It highlights the importance of the committee established by the apex committee of SIFC, specifically tasked with addressing issues related to the PSM land.
Morover, the PSM administration has called upon the federal and Sindh governments for assistance in resolving outstanding issues regarding their land. These issues include the removal of encroachments from Pakistan Steel Township, annulment of illegal allotments and occupation in Gulshan-e-Hadid Phase III, and the allocation of 2,000 acres of land owned by PSM by various Sindh departments without proper mutation allotment.
The plea to the federal government extends to seek help for the re-determination and demarcation of the outer boundary of Pakistan Steel Township, as well as the pending allotment of 400 acres of alternative land for the oil tanker terminal established by the Sindh government.
Read: Sindh allows Centre to use PSM land for EPZ
Similarly, assistance is sought from the federal government to reclaim the 1,377 acres of land currently held by the Sindh government in Pakistan Steel Township. The apex committee of SIFC has proposed the establishment of an export processing zone (EPZ) or special economic zone (SEZ) on the PSM land, a decision made in the 430th meeting of the PSM Board on January 15, 2024.
During this meeting, the board was apprised of the directive from the apex committee of SIFC, restraining the management of PSM from any further transfer of its land. A three-member committee, comprising representatives from the Ministry of Industry and Production, Ministry of Privatization, and the Sindh Chief Minister, has also been formed to oversee the establishment of the SEZ.
The PSM Board has pledged unwavering support for the implementation of this decision and has appealed for the long-standing issues concerning PSM land to be raised before the Sindh chief minister through the platform of SIFC's apex committee, ultimately resulting in the return of thousands of acres of PSM land.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 4th, 2024.