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KARACHI, June 27: The city government has decided to drastically reduced charges for granting lease in kutchi abadis in the metropolis.
The residents of kutchi abadis would now be charged according to the rates fixed by the city council on January 31, 1989, instead of those fixed by the council on June 12, 1999, this was learnt on Sunday.
The lease-granting works in the city's katchi abadis had remained suspended since long, as the rates fixed by the council in 1999 for issuing lease documents to the inhabitants of these localities were quite high.
The zone-wise rates, fixed in 1999, for awarding lease in kutchi abadis were, Rs650 per square yard (minimum) and a Rs5,500 (maximum) for the abadis falling in Zone-I; minimum Rs200 and maximum Rs4,000 for the abadis in Zone-II and minimum Rs100 and maximum Rs4,500 per square yards for the kutchi abadis in Zone- III.
However, the City Nazim Niamatullah Khan, with a view to encouraging the residents of these settlements to get lease of their plots, has now decided to begin lease-granting works according to 1989 rates, according to which, the residential units up to 150 square yards will be charged Rs15 per square yards; for 151 to 200 square yard plots, Rs25 per square yard and for 201 square yard plots and above the lease rate will be Rs50 per square yard.
The CDGK will shortly set up camps at union council level to award lease documents to the residents of kutchi abadis in accordance with 1989 rates, sources in the city government said.
The Nazim had already directed the water and sanitation department not to distinguish between a planned area and a kutchi abadi, while improving and laying water and sewerage lines from the funds allocated under the Rs13 billion Tameer-i-Karachi Programme, the sources added.
The sources hoped that with the initiation of lease granting work, not only the residents of kutchi abadis would heave a sigh of relief, but the city government would also earn a huge revenue under the head of lease charges.
UCs' SHARE: According to the city Nazim, although the CDGK's draft 2004-05 budget has proposed only Rs3.5 million for each UC, it has now been recommended by the City Council to increase this amount to Rs6.5 million for every union council of the metropolis.
As far as members of the union councils are concerned, each of them would be provided Rs1.5 million for undertaking development projects, he said.
Nazim hoped that councillors would use these funds judiciously for construction of quality roads, water supply and sewerage schemes and other development works in their areas.
He also announced that funds of Rs97,000, which used to be released by the provincial government for meeting the expenditures of UCs and were held up for the last five months, would now be paid by the city government from its budget every month till the Sindh government started payment to the UCs.
HONORARIUM: The nazim, in his budget speech, had also asked the City Council members to fix some honoraria for all male and female UC councillors, who were spending time and resources in their respective areas.
He said that each UC should fix Rs2,000 per month as honorarium for councillors and the town nazims would also announce to pay Rs3,000 per month to each town councillor.
FEE ABOLISHED: The Nazim announced that from fiscal 2004-05 onwards, tuition fee had been abolished for all students from class I to X and the scholarship allocation for girl students of class VI to VIII had been increased from Rs30 million to Rs 88.2 million.
He said all students of primary schools and girl students from class VI to VIII were being provided text books free of cost, education at primary level had been declared compulsory, while girls of class VI, VII and VIII were being provided a stipend of Rs100 per month.
He said that Rs50 million were being allocated for improvement of system, curriculum and quality in these educational institutions. He said that for school management committee, Rs79.60 million had been set aside and Rs0.790 million would be distributed free text books for which Rs68.30 million had been allocated as against Rs29 million kept last year.
He said that for the next year, Rs12.30 million had been provided for supply of science equipment to government secondary schools and Rs12.10 million for computers and labs' furniture. He said that with a view to eliminating corruption from the CDGK, Town Municipal Administrations and union councils, a vigilance team, comprising elected members, officials and experts, had been set up.
The team would be empowered to conduct inquiry, with the permission of city nazim, against any person of any office of the CDGK, TMAs and UCs on complaints of corruption and report to city nazim within a specified period, he added.
Besides, a Central Inquiry Committee had been formed to receive public complaints and sent them to the nazim for inquiry purpose.
