Key Takeaways
- Sindh government approved the budget for the financial year 2026-27.
- 25% concession offered to auctioned plot owners for one-time payment of dues.
- Minister prioritises timely payment of salaries, pensions, and retirement benefits.
The Sindh government has approved the budget for the financial year 2026-27, with a focus on clearing pension and outstanding dues of retired Karachi Development Authority (KDA) employees. This decision was made at the 1,200th meeting of the KDA Governing Body, chaired by Sindh Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah.
Shah highlighted the importance of timely payment of salaries, pensions, and retirement benefits, describing these as the fundamental rights of employees. He stressed that retired employees should not face unnecessary delays in receiving their dues and called for a practical plan, with continued government support, to address their financial difficulties.
To strengthen the authority’s revenue base, the governing body approved an increase in service charges levied by the Recovery and Development Projects and Urban Development (DPUD) departments. The minister also directed the KDA to remove encroachments before putting plots up for auction and ensure that all legal and administrative requirements were met.
Emphasising the protection and productive use of public land, Shah called for independent third-party assessments of market values to ensure transparent and fair pricing and maximise revenue from public assets. He ordered the removal of soft encroachments and the preparation of a final list of affected properties, warning that action would be taken against those illegally occupying or misusing plots reserved for public welfare.
The meeting also reviewed plans to digitise the KDA’s land records. Director General KDA Zain-ul-Abideen Ansari informed participants that a digitisation plan had been prepared and implementation would begin soon. The initiative is intended to improve record security, facilitate verification and access to information, and enhance transparency in land administration.
The minister emphasised that financial sustainability, transparent land management, and the effective use of public assets were essential to improving the authority’s performance and meeting its obligations to employees and pensioners. The meeting was attended by Governing Body members Ali Ahmed Jan and Muhammad Yousuf Baloch, both members of the Sindh Assembly, Additional Chief Secretary Local Government Dr Wasim Ahmed Shamshad, Commissioner Karachi Hassan Naqvi, and KDA officials, including Member Technical Abdul Samad Jamali, Member Finance Naveed Anwar Siddiqui and Member Administration Fareed Sheikh.
