29 February 2004	Sunday	08 Muharram 1425

KARACHI, Feb 28: The city government's decision to ban all transactions regarding sale and transfer of plots in Scheme-36 of Gulistan-i-Jauhar about six months ago did not bear any fruit.

The city government officials said that all the development work and transactions regarding plots were stopped after receiving the reports about selling of amenity plots on commercials basis, which were specified for parks.

Following the reports about illegal selling of amenity plots in the area, a committee comprising officials of city government and local bodies' representatives was formed to look into the mismanagement in the affairs of Scheme No 36, Gulistan-i-Jauhar. The committee was assigned to prepare a comprehensive report covering all the aspects of this scandal.

Following the orders of city higher ups, all matters pertaining to sale and transfer of plots and development activities came to standstill. The city government's defunct KDA wing office, managing the affairs of scheme, was also closed down after the decision.

However, the move aimed to put an end to encroachment did not bear any fruitful result and the land mafia has been given a free hand to further grab the land.

According to well-informed sources in the city government, encroachment of government land is continued unabated due to absence of any concerned controlling office in the area, which had been closed down.

"People have started demarcating their plots at their own whims taking the advantage of absence of any controlling and checking department," sources said. They further said that lands worth millions of rupees was being encroached upon.

The officials said that the ban on development work and transactions of plots had not served the purpose. There seemed no logic to close down the anti-encroachment office in the area at a time when encroachment was rampant, they added.

An official of the city government said that the decision to close down the concerned office had provided more opportunities to unscrupulous elements to deprive the government of its precious land.

According to some officials, a massive campaign is needed to streamline the land related affairs of the area, as the concerned department would have to do an uphill task for managing the matters, caused by wrong demarcation and encroachment in the area.-PPI