Gas supply to the Gul Plaza area has remained suspended since a fire broke out at the building
The Sindh cabinet on Tuesday expressed sorrow over the Gul Plaza tragedy and approved a comprehensive compensation and relief package for the victims, while forming a sub-committee to review the inquiry report into the incident.
The sub-committee, headed by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, includes provincial ministers Sharjeel Inam Memon, Nasir Hussain Shah, Saeed Ghani and Ziaul-Hassan Lanjar. It will examine the findings of an inquiry committee led by the Karachi commissioner and decide on further action based on its report.
The cabinet approved compensation of Rs10 million for the families of those who lost their lives in the incident. It also sanctioned immediate financial assistance of Rs500,000 for each affected shopkeeper to cover kitchen and utility expenses, to be disbursed through the commissioner’s office.
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Addressing the cabinet, the chief minister said it was the collective responsibility of the government to provide maximum possible relief to those affected.
The cabinet also approved the provision of interest-free loans of Rs100 million to each affected shopkeeper to help them restart their businesses. The Sindh government will bear the interest cost on the loans.
The chief minister said arrangements would be made to provide shops to all affected traders within two months to enable them to resume business, adding that the government would take all possible steps to ensure their protection and facilitation.
Gas supply suspended in Gul Plaza area
Gas supply to the Gul Plaza area has remained suspended since the fire broke out at the building, leaving thousands of residents facing severe hardship.
Area residents said the Sui gas supply has been cut off for the past 11 days, forcing households to rely on gas cylinders for daily needs. They said the prolonged suspension has disrupted normal life and added to their financial burden.
Read more: Gul Plaza is an accumulated debris of neglect
Residents claimed that more than 10,000 homes in the surrounding locality were affected by the gas outage. Many said they had repeatedly approached the Sui gas company to lodge complaints but were told that supply could not be restored without clearance from the Deputy Commissioner’s office.
“The company officials say gas supply will only be resumed once permission is granted by the DC office,” residents said, urging the authorities to intervene.
The affected residents demanded immediate restoration of gas supply to ease their difficulties, saying families were being displaced and forced to move between relatives’ homes due to the lack of basic utilities.
