KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday directed the authorities concerned to start work on the property survey in Karachi next month.

He gave this order to officials at a meeting held with a World Bank delegation at Chief Minister House.

The WB team comprised Abdul Razzaq Khalil, Ehsan Tahsin, Farhatullah Sami, Hasan Afzal, Bilal Pracha, Bilal Khalid and Kamran Akbar, while WB Country Director Najy Benhassine participated in the meeting through video link from Islamabad.

The chief minister was assisted by Provincial Ministers Dr Azra Pechuho, Sharjeel Memon, Mukesh Chawla, Sardar Shah, Imtiaz Sheikh, Jam Khan Shoro, Haris Gazder, chief secretary Sohail Rajput, chairman of P&D Hasan Naqvi and principal secretary Fayaz Jatoi.

The last property survey across Sindh was held in 2001. Under the then president retired General Pervez Musharraf’s local government law, property tax collection was devolved to the district government, but the exercise was still performed by the provincial taxation department.

Last exercise in Sindh was held in 2001 for property tax collection

The World Bank Group has funded a $240 million Competitive and Livable City of Karachi (CLICK) project, which is aimed at bringing in radical reforms in the infrastructure of the metropolis with a particular emphasis on increasing efficiency of the local government delivery system.

The provincial government has decided to conduct the property survey in Karachi as one of the components of the project is “improvement of urban property tax system”.

The meeting was informed that the work on the technical aspects related to the property survey in the city was being done.

The chief minister ordered to carry out the work on the property survey next month.

The meeting participants were also informed that the work of repairing affected water lines under the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board was going on.

Construction of Jam Sadiq Bridge Murad Ali Shah also directed to issue the tender for the construction work of Jam Sadiq Bridge in the city soon.

He said that the ongoing projects under the World Bank in the city would be completed at fast speed.

He said that the purpose of calling the review meeting was to accelerate the pace of the projects and solve the problems faced in the projects.

The chief minister was told that tendering for the repair of Jam Sadiq Bridge was in final stages.

He said that the repair work of bridge was being done under the Karachi Mobility project.

It was also informed in the meeting that a site at Manjhnand was selected for Sindh Solar Project and PC 1 of the project had been sent to the Planning Commission of Pakistan for approval.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2023