KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah on Wednesday constituted a five-member committee to expedite the process of regularisation of villages in Karachi, Hyderabad and Thatta and directed the committee to complete the issuance of Sanads to its residents within two months.

The chief minister also asked a senior member of the Board of Revenue to expedite computerisation of record of rights, as it would be helpful to protect ownership titles to villagers.

While reviewing the regularisation of villages at a meeting held at the CM House, Mr Shah expressed dissatisfaction over the pace of work and pointed out that local villagers had been facing threat from land mafia.

He warned the relevant authorities that if land grabbing situation emerged, the officers concerned would be held responsible.

The chief minister appointed senior member of the Board of Revenue Fazal Rahman head of the committee. DC west, DC Malir, PD Gothabad and Member Land Utilization would be members of the committee, to be assisted by Lal Bux Bhutto and Haji Qasim Baloch.

He said that the provision of shelter to the people without shelter and protection of the rights of ownership of people was the PPP manifesto and the party leadership would fulfil this commitment to the people at every cost.

He directed the committee to expedite the process, submit him a progress report on a weekly basis and complete the task within the next two months.

He explained that the government had reserved the land for the development of Malir with the establishment of Malir Development Authority and the government was going to reserve the land for the development Lyari as well. However, he added, the rights of ownership of villages falling in the areas of the reserved land would also be protected.

In district west of Karachi, out of 368 identified villages, 200 have been approved for regularisation, while in district Malir, 391 out of 622 villages have been approved for the process.

Similarly, 132 out of 562 identified villages in Hyderabad have been sanctioned.

Of 797 villages identified in district Thatta, 587 have been surveyed for regularisation.