PAC seeks data of slums across Sindh

KARACHI:

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Sindh Assembly has sought the data of slums across the province, including records of those that have been regularised. The PAC has also asked the relevant department to provide details within 10 days about the ownership certificates issued to residents in these settlements, the regularisation process, and the rates of regularising plots in these areas.

The PAC meeting, held on Thursday in the Sindh Assembly Committee Room, was chaired by PAC Chairman Nisar Khuhro.

Secretary of Human Settlement, Special Development Shariq Ahmed, the department's Finance Director Bilal Shaikh, and the Director General of Audit Sindh were also present in the meeting.

The committee reviewed various audit paragraphs for the department from 2018 to 2021. The Human Settlement Department failed to provide an audit record of funds totaling Rs131.901 million, allocated as grants-in-aid and for differential bills, which led the PAC chairman to give a 10-day deadline for submitting the audit record.

At the meeting, PAC chairman sought information from the secretary of the department about the total number of illegal settlements in Sindh and how many have been regularised so far.

Khuhro also inquired about the process and the rate at which plots in these settlements are regularised. In response, Secretary Shariq Ahmed informed the PAC chairman that there are 1,400 informal settlements in Sindh, of which 582 are located in Karachi. Khuhro then asked how many residents have been issued ownership certificates and what amount of fees collected for these certifications.

Director of Finance Bilal Shaikh stated that a regularisation fee is charged at Rs250 per square yard for 120-yard plots in Karachi's informal settlements, though rates vary by district. However, since 2021, people are unable to pay the fees, which has slowed down the issuance of certificates.