Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that provincial government has materialized the dream of the poor to have their own house and proprietary rights have been awarded to more than seventeen lakh dwellers of Katchi Abadis in the province while 3460 Katchi Abadis have been notified. He said that only 825 Katchi Abadis were notified in the last 27 years while the present government has notified 3460 Katchi Abadis in a short period and awarded proprietary rights to their dwellers. He said it is first time in the history of the province that proprietary rights have been awarded under joint partnership to husband and wife in Katchi Abadis and they have been made equal partners in property.
He was presiding over a high-level review meeting regarding the pace of awarding proprietary rights to the residents of Katchi Abadis in the province at Model Town, here today. Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan, Auqaf Minister Haji Ehsanuddin Qureshi, Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan Assembly Members Hafiz Mian Muhammad Nauman, Haji Allah Rakha, Chairman Planning & Development, Senior Member Board of Revenue, Secretaries Finance, Law, Local Government, Housing as well as other concerned officers were present. The Chief Minister said that Punjab government has taken the historic and revolutionary step of awarding proprietary rights to the dwellers of Katchi Abadis. He said that a total of one lakh eighty thousand and 725 Kanal land has been given to residents of Katchi Abadis on ownership basis. He said that Punjab government has materialized the dream of the residents of Katchi Abadis to have their own house. He said that no fee has been charged from widows and orphans in awarding them proprietary rights while a fee of Rs.172 per marla has been charged from others. He said that it is for the first time that Punjab government has awarded proprietary rights to the residents of Katchi Abadis in urban as well as rural areas. He said that Punjab government of PML-N has always taken solid measures for the betterment of backward and low-income segment of the society and awarding of ownership rights to the residents of Katchi Abadis is a part of this policy. The Chief Minister also issued instructions for setting up a committee for the immediate disposal of the pending cases which will present its report within two days after making a case to case review. The Chief Minister while acknowledging the efficiency of the staff of Directorate General Katchi Abadis announced two months’ basic pay for them as honorarium. The Chief Minister also appreciated the performance of Senior Member Board of Revenue, Sami Saeed, Member Colonies Khawaja Shamail, Director General Katchi Abadis and staff of the department and said that the officers have set a noble example of dutifulness by working round the clock for this project of public welfare.