KARACHI       -    Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Housing Cell (SBBHC) to conduct balloting of the plots developed for low-cost housing scheme in Deh Lukman of Khairpur district so that homeless people could provide roof to their children.

He issued these directives while presiding over a meeting of SBBHC here at CM House on Friday. The meeting was attended by Special Assistant Nawab Wassan, Secretary Finance Najam Shaikh, Chairman SBBHC Baqaullah Unar and other concerned officers.

Wassan briefing the chief minister said that SBBHC developed 1,647 plots of 100 square yards each one, over an area of 81 acres in Deh Lukman of Khairpur district and would be given to poor families free of cost as approved by the chief minister. 

The infrastructure development work has been completed on 81 acres where 1,647 plots are developed for allotment in accordance with the approved selection criteria. The applications were invited from poor families against and around 4,500 applications were submitted in deputy commissioner office, of them 2083 application have been found fit under the criteria.

The chief minister directed SBBHC to fix a date for balloting so that shelter-less people could construct their houses on their plots.

The chief minister was told that the SBBHC has a 50-acre land in Deh Nagan, Karachi where a low-cost housing scheme could be established. At this the chief minister directed the SBBHC to invite applications for launching low cost housing scheme on public private partnership basis. “We can give half of the land to private party against which the private party develop two or three apartments towers for government’s low-cost housing scheme for poor people,” he suggested.

The chief minister directed his special assistant and the chairman to prepare a proposal and start consulting private parties so that this proposal could be materialised.

Shah also decided to launch 600 low cost houses in three districts, including 400 in Larkana, 100 in Jamshoro and 100 in Khairpur. The cost of 600 houses would be Rs269 million at a rate of Rs4,48,328 each house. The chief minister directed finance department to release Rs2.6 million out of SBBHC Fund maintained by Fund Management House.

Special Assistant to CM Nawab Wassan told the chief minister that 6000 low houses under phase-III were approved for Rs1.82 billion at market rate of 2016/ The Finance department under Fund Management had released Rs910 million in three equal instalments for 3000 houses. He added that therefore 2526 houses have been completed in all respect and the remaining 438 houses were at final stage and likely to be completed on September 15, 2019. He said that the SBBHC could not start work on remaining 3000 houses due to non-release of funds of Rs1.5 billion.

The chief minister directed the BBHC to revise rates as per new market rates and then submit a proposal so that required funds could be released.

These 3000 low cost houses under phase-III have been constructed in different districts and they have two-rooms of 10 into 12 feet with 8 into 10 corridor and 4 into 7 feet bathroom. The total size of the house comes to 436.25 square ft.   The phase-III houses are located in Badin, 153 , Shaheed Benazirabad 215, Dadu 204, Ghotki 102, Hyderabad 127, Jacobabad 100, Jamshoro 263, Kambar 144, Karachi 57, Mirpurkhas 121, Matiari 19, Larakana 186, Khairpur 162, Kashmore 57 and other districts.

Under phase-II 6000 solar units installed on the houses constructed under low-cost housing schemes in different district. The chief minister directed the SBBHC to prepare more schemes so that poor people of the province could be provided houses with solar energy.

Ministers, advisors deputed on supervision of relief duties during monsoon rains

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in the wake of weather advisory issued by Meteorological department has assigned the ministers/advisors monitoring and supervising duties of relief activities to be carried out in different districts during monsoon rains expected from 10 to 13 August, 2019.

The notification issued by the CM Secretariat, the ministers/advisors detailed to perform monitoring duties and their districts are as follows:

Saeed Ghani to work in East and Korangi, Murtaza Baloch West and Malir, Murtaza Wahab South, Shahela Raza Central, Shabir Bijarani Hyderabad, Qasim Naveed Tando Mohammad Khan, Mukesh Chawla Tando Allahyar, Hari Ram Mirpurkhas, Aijaz Shah Shirazi Sujawal, Ismail rahu Badin, Awais Shah Thatta, Dr Azra Pechuho Shaheed Benazirabad, Taimur Talpur Umerkot, Syed Sardar Shah Tharparkar, Faraz Dero Sanghar and Makhdoom mahoob Zaman Matiari.

The chief minister has directed the ministers/advisors to ensure their presence in the district where their monitoring and supervising duties have been detailed.