KARACHI: CM’s order on status of Sabzimandi ignored
By Habib Khan Ghori
KARACHI, Oct 17: Chief Minister Ali Mohammad Mahar’s decision to transfer of the management of the New Sabzimandi from agriculture department to the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) in accordance with the Sindh Local Government Ordinance 2002 has been put in abeyance.
The decision had been taken on the recommendations of a sub-committee which was constituted to look into the maladministration on a large scale in the affairs of the New Sabzimandi as well as growing corruption and many other problems. However, vested interests and certain unscrupulous elements within the government have managed to prevent implementation of the CM’s decision, thus obstructing enforcement of a provision of the SLGO.
With the only exception of the New Sabzimandi, on Super Highway, all vegetable and fruit markets in the province are under the control of their local government.
The provincial government’s earlier decision to form the sub-committee, followed reports that the officials with responsibility to run the affairs of Sabzimandi had indulged in corrupt practices creating serious problems for the allottees of plots. They were also accused of slicing pieces of land from the open space meant for facilitating customers, traders and vehicular traffic. Some reports had suggested that the officials, in league with market committees, had resorted to encroach upon the state-owned land as well as properties of different allottees. It had been observed that insanitation, leading to emergence of heaps of garbage and debris elsewhere in the mandi vicinity, besides frequent disruption and discontinuation of water and power supply had made this Asian Development Bank project a real eyesore.
The CM’s decision had created a ray of hope among stakeholders who started expecting a swift action to get all things put in an orderly manner. The allottees were sure of a remedy to their frustration and deprivation. However, no substantial progress has been seen in spite of the passage of almost three months after the decision was taken.
They stakeholders told Dawn that some of the government functionaries were still hand in gloves with certain bureaucrats who somehow managed to get themselves posted on key positions again and again to continue their corrupt practices despite having been faced stark charges in this regard. “These unscrupulous elements are bent upon spoiling the gigantic model project,” they deplored.
According to the President of Malir Fresh Fruit Merchants and Growers Association, Mohammad Javed, the Market Committee Karachi (MCK), had put forward a new layout plan for the Sabzimandi for an approval by the Gadap Town administration.
He claimed that the original plan was grossly manipulated as a lot of space meant for parking, footpaths and pavements, etc., had been shown as ‘allotted shop/auction shed plots’ in the MCK-sponsored plan. This, he added, was contrary to the Sindh Ombudsman’s decision dated June 24, 2000. The objective for the manipulation is to let the unscrupulous elements go ahead with their corrupt practices, he claimed.
He pointed out that the ombudsman had endorsed the documents putting the number of shops as per the original layout plan, based on the reports of survey conducted by army and rangers teams, at 4,348 which did not match with the MCK plan.
He recalled that in the original layout plan, there were only 1,764 shops and auction sheds which were later increased to 4,072 in 1996 in the revised plan. The plan submitted with the ombudsman and Supreme Court put the number of auction facilities at the mandi at 4,348.
“The latest plan submitted now with the city government for approval is the 12th plan in the series and shows more than 6,000 shops and sheds.”
Giving an example, he mentioned that the D-2 extension, a plot measuring 844.44 square yards allotted under serial No. 5530, was in conflict with the the policy framed by a ministerial committee in 1999.
The policy envisages sheds for vegetables not to exceed 150 square yards and for fruits 300 square yards. However, the D-2 extension, meant for vegetable shed, onion and potato, and allotted to one, Haji Shahjahan, measured bigger and the demarcation appeared violative of the policy.
In one of the reports, the director of Agriculture Marketing had conveyed to the DG of Agriculture Extension, Sindh, in January that the MCK record showed that out of 214 plots allotted during the tenure of administrator Mr Abbasi, 146 were allotted to those who were not eligible under any policy. Three more plots were allotted later to similar people causing a huge loss to the market committee. The director had, in his reports, recommended disciplinary action against the responsible officials.
Another case, involving misappropriation of Rs74 million being interest on term deposits, prompted authorities to initiate inquiries against certain officials and the case is pending a decision by the anti-corruption committee which has made no substantial progress in this regard.
Mr Javed lamented that the woes of the stakeholders multiplied due to water and power problems. He referred to the unchecked trend of drawing water and power through illegal connections and said that power theft through ‘Kunda system’ was rampant at the Sabzimandi while honest power consumers had been made to suffer in terms of cost and expenditure.
Referring to the non-availability of water at Sabzimandi, he said that the situation had added to the miseries of the stakeholders. He recalled that the supply of potable water to the entire Sabzimandi had been discontinued by the Water Board in July owing to the non-payment of dues by the market committee. He said that the dues had touched the mark of Rs5.4 million. “The ultimate sufferers are the stakeholders who have to avail tanker service on payment of an unbearably high rate for the most essential commodity.”
The unscrupulous elements are minting Rs30,000 to 40,000 per day from the consumers, he pointed out.
The traders’ leader remarked that the affairs of the Sabzimandi could not be put on right track unless its management was given under the control of the CDGK as required by the SLGO.
Mr Javed said that he had approached the city Nazim and chief secretary to request them to ensure implementing of the CM’s decision which would not only provide a relief to the stakeholders, but also help strengthen the CDGK’s financial position.
Making an impassioned appeal to President Musharraf and chief of the National Accountability Bureau, the association’s president drew their attention to the inordinate delay, nearly 40 months, in initiating an action against the corrupt officials and unscrupulous elements identified in the ombudsman’s report.
Had an appropriate action been taken on the basis of the ombudsman’s findings, the affairs of the Sabzimandi would have been streamlined by now, he suggested.
