24 January 2004	Saturday	01 Zilhaj 1424

KARACHI, Jan 23: Lyari Town needs Rs360.321 million to bring an improvement in the existing municipal infrastructures. This was stated by Lyari Town Nazim Abdul Khalique Juma while addressing a press conference on Friday afternoon.

According to him, the town administration has finalized a list of development schemes, as desired by President Musharraf, needing immediate funding. The Nazim circulated copies of the letter, which had also been sent to the president for release of funds under federal, provincial and city governments financial assistance programmes, among newsmen on the occasion.

The letter highlights the areas, which need funds for improvement, including 26 schemes for improvement of roads and streets that would cost Rs219.370 million. Besides, an amount of Rs28.951 million was needed for the improvement of 22 parks and playgrounds; Rs42.5 million for construction of roads and streetlights; and Rs69.5 million for fabrication and improvement of garbage vehicles.

Mr Juma said that the PC-I of these schemes was furnished to the provincial government through city government for releasing of the funds for execution of the projects.

He expressed hope that the funds would soon be released and action for execution of the schemes would be taken into hands on urgency basis, as desired by the president.

During the last visit of President Musharraf to Karachi, Mr Juma said, he (the president) had shown keen interest in the development works of Lyari Town. The Nazim said that he was summoned by the president at the Governor House to explain the reasons for the crippling infrastructure situation in Lyari.

He said the president was told that the financial constraints was the main factor, as the town was thickly populated having very old municipal infrastructure and low tax base with a lower middle class population.

Mr Juma told the newsmen that the president had asked him to prepare the list of development projects needing immediate financial assistance for implementation. Since the president was taking personal interest in the development of Lyari, he expressed hope that the funds would soon be released.

He said that the town administration must be allowed to monitor these development works, even if the same were carried out by any agency. He regretted that the city government had recently initiated works on a development scheme in Lyari without taking into confidence the town officials.

Under Tameer-i-Karachi programme, it was pointed out that funds were sought for the improvement of Shah Latif Bhittai Road, Tannery Road, Sheedi Village Road, Shahrah-i-Abdul Rahim, Faqir Mohammad Dura Khan Road, New Kumarwara Road and Mirza Adam Khan Road.

Regarding encroachment in the town, the Nazim held transport mafia responsible for road encroachments and said that the mafia had converted the whole town into a terminus. He suggested that transport business should be shifted from the area and said that there was no justification for their stay in the town, as they had been allotted land on Hub River Road.

From Lea Market to Hub River Road, he said, over 150 coaches and wagons were being plied creating traffic congestion in the locality. Mr Juma criticized the policy of Board of Revenue for allotting CDC plots, which were earlier used for warehousing facility purposes. After the expiry of leasing period, he alleged, these plots were being allotted to transport mafia and builders. He demanded that the plots must be returned so that these could be used for amenity purposes. Among others, TMO Aftab Syed was also present on the occasion.