KARACHI, July 7: The Market Committee of the New Sabzi Mandi on the Super Highway, instead of carrying out the instructions of Sindh ombudsman and the city nazim, regarding getting its plan approved from the competent authority , continues to raise and auction unauthorized structures in the premises of the market.

In its latest bid, the committee has put up 20 shops for auction, which had allegedly been built illegally inside the boundary wall of the Sabzi Mandi and whose demolition notices had been issued by the Karachi Building Control Authority.

The stake-holders, represented by the Malir Fresh Fruit Merchants and Growers' Association, Wholesale Fruit Market, have sent a letter to higher authorities, including Karachi corps commander, drawing their attention to the plight of genuine allotees.

According to the association's president Mr Javaid, the allotees couldn't build their shops in the Sabzi Mandi for want of an approved plan, while the Market Committee continued to indulge in illegal constructions on open spaces, reserved for parking vehicles and smooth flow of traffic.

Demanding a thorough enquiry into the affairs of the committee, which is allegedly infested with corruption and mismanagement, he said that despite the passage of over three years, since their shifting from old location of the market on the University Road, the allotees continued to face hardships, although at the time of taking possession of the plots they had deposited over Rs90 million on various accounts.

There were water and power problems, besides unhygienic sanitation condition, uneven roads and unabated encroachment, Mr Javaid complained. There were outstanding power bills of Rs34.0 million, besides Rs17.5 million dues of water board, to be paid by the Market Committee, he added.

The committee, which enjoyed backing from vested interests, not only continued to ignore the high-up's directives, but, through manipulations, it also managed to stop the transfer of the Sabzi Mandi to the city government, as required under the rules of the Sindh Local Government Ordinance, he added.

The order to hand over the management of the Sabzi Mandi to the city government was issued by former chief minister Sardar Ali Muhammad Mahar, after receiving a report from the technical committee formed by Chief Secretary Dr Mutawakkil Kazi, recommending that the transfer of the Sabzi Mandi to the city government would help streamline its affairs.

According to insiders, three different plans are in circulation, all showing different data, but none of the plans seem to be in consonance with ground realities.

Under the rules, the Market Committee is supposed to guard the interests of the New Sabzi Mandi and those of its stake-holders, but so far, not only it has failed to deliver, but its actions and management plan regarding the Sabzi Mandi continues to draw attention of higher authorities, who have been forming various committees, but without any results.

In January 2003, when reports of rampant corruption in the affairs of the Sabzi Mandi appeared in the press, a committee was set up by the then chief secretary K B Rind, headed by Sarwar Khero, present ACS (Finance), to investigate into its affairs.

Regarding the findings of the probe, nothing was made public except that the government had recommended to send the case to the National Accountability Bureau.

The matter was also raised last year in the Sindh Assembly by MPAs Abdullah Murad (late), Ms Humera Alwani, Mr Nasrullah Shaji and Mr Hameedullah Khan, regarding the number of shops, genuine allottees, who were not given the possession of shops, unplanned structures on the allotted plots and tender money amounting Rs22 million, which remained unaccounted for.

The then agriculture minister had failed to satisfy the members as most of the information was not readily available to him, he announced formation of a three-member committee to look into the affairs and report within three weeks.

But there was no word about the body, whether it met and carried out the work it was entrusted with and what were its findings. In the New Sabzi Mandi, when it was shifted from the University Road, 936 persons were reportedly allotted 697 plots.