The g
overnment would start a one-window operation with active involvement of Association of Builders And Developers of Pakistan (ABAD) to promote the construction industry since this industry supports more than 70 allied industries and is the second largest source of job generation, said the
Sindh Minister for Local G
overnment Saeed Ghani on Monday.
Sindh Minister for Local G
overnment Saeed Ghani also directed relevant g
overnment officials to implement laws and agreements relevant to the construction industry.
“Construction sector is backbone of national economy and problems of Association of Builders and Developers of Pakistan (ABAD) should be resolved on priority,” said Saeed Ghani while addressing a meeting at the ABAD House on Monday.
During the meeting, he also advised ABAD to hold meetings with heads of all relevant depar
tments. “The g
overnment would ensure that viable decisions are implemented,” he added. Saeed Ghani further informed the ABAD officials that every department would get one window system with a central one window centre to coordinate between them.
Discussing the water issue, Saeed Ghani said that g
overnment would install desalination plants to convert sea water into potable water to overcome water crisis in
Sindh.
He said that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had given him local g
overnment ministry to make all the relevant depar
tments of the ministry active and effective. “Those g
overnment functionaries which do not honor g
overnment decisions will have to pack up,” he warned.
Meanwhile, ABAD Chairma
n Arif Yousuf Jeewa informed the meeting that 84 residential projects were completed in Karachi but builders and developers could not hand over possession to allottees as g
overnment had failed to provide basic utilities like water, electricity and gas.
He said that whole country had been facing shortage of water but it was regretful that constructions of high
rise buildings were banned in Karachi in name of water shortage.
He requested
Sindh g
overnment to compile a report on water with help of ABAD. He said that Supreme Court (SC) had asked
Sindh g
overnment to present report in November and ABAD would be more than willing to help.
Former ABAD chairman, Mohsin Sheikhani said that the
Sindh g
overnment had built only three low cost housing schemes during last twenty five years.
He regretted that none of scheme had been handed over to the allottees. He said that ABAD had announced affordable housing schemes for people of lower strata of society keeping in view shortage of houses in the country.
He said that ABAD had also given proposals to past successive g
overnments for affordable housing and offered its services but the g
overnment had not responded positively to those proposals.
He claimed that g
overnment depar
tments had been creating hurdles in housing projects in Karachi. He requested minister Saeed Ghani to bring in changes in
Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), Karachi Development Authority (KDA) and other relevant depar
tments. He also demanded that utilities and infrastructural facilities be provided in the city.
Senior vice chairman Fayyaz Ilyas, vice chairman Sohail Warind, Southern Region chairman Altaf Tai, former Chairman Hanif Gohar, former senior vice chairman Muhammad Hassan Bakshi, officials of SBCA, LDA, MDA and other concerned depar
tments were also present on the occasion.
Published in Daily Times, September 4th 2018.