Anti-encroachment force to be set up

[Naveed Yaseen]

An anti-encroachment force consisting of 500 personnel would be established under the Board of Revenue to end encroachment on government lands, said Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Monday.

Chairing a meeting at the CM House about encroachments, he said that the provincial government would also seek the help of Rangers against land-grabbers for the time being. The meeting decided that anti-encroachment police stations would be established in Karachi and Hyderabad in the first phase, while the policy would be extended to Sukkur and Mirpurkhas later.

A committee led by secretary law was also formed to bring necessary changes in law concerned to end encroachments. Representatives of police, the revenue board and forest department would be members of the proposed committee, which would submit its recommendations within a week in consultation with advocate general Sindh.

Senior member of the BoR, Ghulam Ali Pasha, informed the meeting about encroachment of official lands in Karachi, Thatta, Kotri, Hyderabad and other cities, as well as the occupation of land along both banks of the Indus.

Minister for home, minister for revenue, minister for law, chief secretary Sindh, IG Sindh, advocate general, principal secretary to the CM, CCPO Karachi, member land utilization and others attended the meeting.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=187944