18 December 2004	Saturday	05 Ziqa'ad 1425

KARACHI, Dec 17: The City Council hall, which has been renovated and beautified at a cost of Rs14.464 million, was inaugurated on Friday by the City Naib-Nazim, Tariq Hassan.

The City Nazim, Niamatullah Khan, senior presiding officer Muslim Pervez, DCO Karachi Fazal-ur-Rehman, city council members and other officials were present.

Having 256 seats with tables for its members and an elevated podium for the convenor, the air-conditioned hall, situated in the defunct KMC head office, has been given a new look.

Speaking on the occasion, Naib-Nazim Tariq Khan said the renovation of the council hall had become necessary following introduction of the new local government system. Under the system, council members had increased to 256 as against the previous number of only 77.

He said renovation work of the city council started on November 24, 2002. While renovating and constructing the hall, the building's architectural beauty and its importance from the heritage point of view was kept in mind.

Tracing the history of the defunct KMC head office building, now named as the City District Government Complex, and which houses the naib-nazim's secretariat, Mr Tariq said the foundation stone for the Karachi municipal office was originally laid on December 14, 1895 by the then governor of Bombay, Lord Sandhurst, and the present site was completed in 1915.

The superstructure and foundation of the eastern wing of the present building commenced on November 5, 1927, while the metropolitan corporation was completed on December 31, 1931. The consecration ceremony of the building was performed on January 7, 1932 at a total cost of Rs17,75,000. It was designed by Mr James C Wyunnes of Edinburgh.

The council hall of the city was built in 1930 according to requirements of that time. The number of seats was increased with the increase of population and their elected representatives, he added.

Mr Hassan said that besides renovating the city council hall and providing new furniture, other new facilities for the hall included a library, a lavatory for ladies, a computer library, a lounge for nazims, and a canteen, etc.

The City Nazim, Niamatullah Khan, on the occasion, lauded the role of the city council members in the city's development works, saying the number of uplift projects undertaken during a short span of three years had no parallel in the city's history.

Briefly speaking about the development works undertaken in the city, he said it was for the first time that as many as 16 roads were being constructed at one time.

A number of other projects such as flyovers, underpasses, pedestrian bridges had either been completed or would be completed in the next six months, he said. Besides, eight model parks had been developed in various towns while some remaining 10 model parks would be developed in a couple of months.