Karachi: The Sindh provincial cabinet on Friday (April 15) decided to amend the Sindh Katchi Abadis Act 1987 to register recently established katchi abadis (shanty settlements) in the regularisation list, news sources reported. After the amendment, the new cut-off date for the inclusion of shanty homes will be December 31, 2011, instead of June 30, 1997.
Reportedly, the cabinet convened under the chair of Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah and asked the Sindh Katchi Abadi Authority (SKAA) to review the regularisation bill and place it on the agenda for the next cabinet meeting. According to SKAA, extending the deadline to December 31, 2011, will provide relief to inhabitants of shantytowns that sprang up after June 30, 1997’s deadline.
Furthermore, the cabinet authorised SKAA’s proposal to begin a low-cost housing project for regularised shanty colonies. The idea proposes constructing permanent dwellings for the homeless and others impacted by the continuing anti-encroachment campaign. The cabinet directed the revenue department to locate land for the programme around the province.
It is worth noting that this is the second time the cabinet has changed the deadline for shanty house regularisation. The SKA legislation was passed in 1987 and has since been revised to extend the deadline to 1997, with the most recent change being the second in the series.
Nauman Ahmad is an imaginative Pisces whose love for literature and nature is unparalleled. When he's not reading or hiking, he's sleeping and eating, which gives him plenty of energy for his next adventure.
