LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that provision of shelter to the poor, disadvantaged and homeless people is the agenda of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
He said that after Ashiana Housing Scheme, the Punjab government is launching a programme for the distribution of five-marla residential plots among homeless people in cities and villages of the province.He was addressing a meeting regarding the five-marla scheme and the awarding of proprietary rights to the dwellers of katchi abadis (slums). The CM said that the process of identification of 110,554 suitable residential plots had been completed.
He said that proprietary rights would also be granted to slum dwellers throughout the province, adding that the process would start from April 26 and be completed by May 30. The CM directed the commissioners and district coordination officers to play an active role in the implementation of these public welfare projects.He warned that no negligence or delay would be tolerated in the execution of these projects.
He also issued instructions for selecting a suitable site for the Ashiana Housing Scheme in Multan and presenting the plan of the project within the next two days. Shahbaz announced that computerised balloting for the distribution of plots under the five-marla scheme would be held on June 6. talking about proprietary rights to the dwellers of slums, he said, the plots allotted under the scheme would be the joint property of a husband and the wife.
He said that 713 suitable sites for five-marla plots had been identified in various cities of the province, and that these plots would be given to the homeless and landless people on merit, which would materialise the dream of the poor to have their own house. He said that all basic amenities would be provided to the residents of these schemes.The CM directed the authorities concerned to conduct a complete survey of the state land given on lease in the province so that it could be utilised for the welfare of the resourceless people.
He said that qabza groups had been patronised in the dictatorial era, while the present government had retrieved land worth billions of rupees from the land mafia and initiated public welfare projects.The chief minister, while issuing instructions regarding awarding of proprietary rights in slums, directed that satellite and physical survey as well as verification process of slums be completed within two weeks. He said that district coordination officers would also verify the suitability of these slums after conducting their physical survey.
He directed the authorities that for the purpose of awarding proprietary rights to the tenants cultivating state land for generations, a plan should be evolved for deleting the names from the column of cultivators and entering it in the column of owners in the government record. “This project will benefit more than 500,000 cultivators of the province who will till their lands with more commitment and dedication after registering their names in the column of owners,” he said. Shahbaz said that a cabinet committee had been constituted for monitoring the programme of five-marla scheme and awarding proprietary rights to the dwellers of slums. “The committee will meet thrice a week and review the pace of progress on both these projects. Committees consisting of elected representatives will also be formed at the district and divisional levels for effective implementation of these schemes. – Dailytimes
