KARACHI, July 19: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad has ordered removal of all encroachments from cottage industry zones in Landhi, Orangi and Baldia towns, and directed the officers concerned to hand over the plots to the genuine allottees.
He issued these directives at a high-level meeting, which discussed revival of these zones. He expressed his disappointment over the inordinate delay in handing over of the plots to the allottees.
Sindh Planning and Development Minister Shoaib Bokhari, advisor to chief minister on Local Governments, Syed Waseem Akhtar, Information advisor Salahuddin Haider, Additional Chief Secretary (LG) Saleem Khan, City Nazim Naimatullah Khan and officers concerned were also present on the occasion.
The governor also asked the authorities concerned to provide a "package" to the cottage industry allottees in cooperation with the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (Smeda) in these zones.
He said that Smeda had developed various proposals, including feasibility reports for setting up cottage industries all over the country, which should be provided to the allottees.
Mr Ibad directed the authorities to dispose off the land in the said zones on merit, once it was vacated. He said that separate project directors should be appointed for the three zones to make these functional.
Dr Ibad pointed out that in the present era, when small and medium entrepreneurs were being encouraged the world over, there was no formal sector in the city to promote cottage industries.
Earlier, Local Governments ACS Saleem Khan, in his presentation on the revival of cottage industry zones, said that the defunct Karachi Metropolitan Corporation had tried to introduce three cottage industry zones, but none of these could materialized due to non-availability of infrastructure facilities, inordinate delay in completion of development schemes and encroachments.
He informed the meeting that Landhi cottage industry scheme, comprising 2,334 plots, measuring 200sq-yards each, was approved in March 1993. The layout plan was amended, and 493 new plots were created under the quota reserved for ministers.
He added that these plots had not so far been handed over to the allottees due to encroachments, double allotments and litigations. Similarly, the cottage industry zone of Orangi Township was created in 1995 over an area of 296 acres, consisting of 3,946 plots of 200sq-yards each, he said.
The ACS, giving the details of allotments and recovery, said that 3,780 applications were received and all of the applicants were allotted the plots, adding that Rs120 million had been recovered from the allottees, while Rs347.394 million were outstanding.
He said the FWO was awarded a contract to undertake development works at the cottage industry zones, but it failed to do so and the allottees were left waiting for the possession of plots. -APP
