‘Construction by-laws to be enforced across the province’

KARACHI: The government intends to enforce construction by-laws across the province, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah said at a meeting of the Sindh local government department at the CM House on Thursday.

Shah approved the proposal for the establishment of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) and directed the local government secretary, along with the secretary of finance and Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA) chief controller to finalise the prospects with regard to the new authority.  He also directed the officials to ensure that the SBCA works at a provincial level with offices at divisional and district levels.

Directors will look after assignments at divisional levels and officers will function at district levels while the rules that exist for the KBCA will also apply for the SBCA, it was further stated.

Prior to the establishment of the KBCA in 1979, the construction by-laws were handled by the Karachi Development Authority (KDA), while the director of the town planning office, situated in Hyderabad, catered to the needs of the rest of the province, said Sindh chief secretary Fazalur Rehman.

The meeting was attended by local government minister Agha Siraj Durrani, chief, local government secretary Khursheed Naeem Malik, law secretary Syed Ghulam Nabi Shah, finance secretary Fazalullah Pechuho, principal secretary to the CM Syed Sohail Akbar Shah, special secretary to the CM Abdul Kabeer Kazi and KBCA chief controller Manzoor Qadir.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 2^nd, 2010.