KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in his meeting with a delegation of Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) led by Zubair Motiwala, announced that the government would compensate the shopkeepers of Cooperative Market and Victoria Centre which were gutted by fire.

The meeting was attended by Minister for Information, Labour Saeed Ghani, Minister Industries & Cooperation Jam Ikramullah Dharejo, Administrator Karachi Murtaza Wahab, PSCM Fayaz Jatoi, Secretary Local Government Najam Shah, Secretary Finance Sajid Jamal Abro, Secretary Cooperation Dept Naseemul Hassan Sahto and other concerned officers.

The KCCI members and affected shopkeepers told the chief minister that fire had erupted in the Cooperative Market on November 14, 2021, as a result 398 shops, completely or partially, were reduced to ashes.

It was the season of marriages and most of the shops sell wedding dresses and related material. “Eruption of fire at this stage has caused them huge losses,” they lamented. At this, the chief minister said that he would not leave them in the lurch.

Syed Murad Ali Shah said that the affected shopkeepers would be given compensation so that they could restart their business.

He constituted a committee comprising Minister Saeed Ghani, Jam Ikram Dharejo, Chairman P&D, and representatives of the shopkeepers to verify and recommend the names for compensation.

The chief minister also directed the Cooperative department to move a summary for the cabinet so that compensation amount could be approved and then disbursed at the earliest.

The KCCI members and affected shopkeepers thanked the chief minister for his timely support.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022