KARACHI: The Sindh government has constituted a sub-committee of the provincial cabinet to scrutinise and process applications for the allotment of state-owned land for agricultural, industrial, residential, and commercial purposes, in a move aimed at ensuring transparency and avoiding future controversies.
The sub-committee has been formed under Section 10(2) of the Colonisation and Disposal of Government Land (Sindh) Act, 1912, according to official sources. Sindh Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Ziaul Hassan Lanjar will chair the committee, with Irrigation Minister Jam Khan Shoro and Energy Minister Nasir Hussain Shah serving as its members.
The committee’s primary responsibility will be to examine pending requests for land allotments under various categories and to submit its formal recommendations to the Sindh Cabinet for final approval. The secretary of Land Utilisation has been directed to assist the sub-committee and provide all relevant data and documents needed for assessment and evaluation.
According to officials, dozens of applications for government land allotment have remained pending with the provincial administration for months, causing delays in developmental and industrial projects. The formation of the sub-committee is being seen as an attempt by the government to streamline the process, introduce accountability, and avert any potential land-related scandals. Land allotments will be made at prevailing market rates, and the government has pledged that all stages of the process will be kept transparent to ensure there are no irregularities that could later create legal or political complications for the administration.
A senior official of the Sindh Board of Revenue told The News that amid increasing scrutiny by media, civil society, and the judiciary, the current Sindh government appears to be taking a cautious approach.
