KARACHI, Jan 24: A number of major city projects, some of which President Musharraf had promised on April 28, 2002 during his referendum rally, have either failed to make any visible progress or are moving at a snail's pace.
These projects - Aiwan-i-Rifaat complex, Gutter Baghicha, Askari Park, Botanical Garden at Race Course ground, Karachi Circular Railway, etc -- are constantly falling prey to bureaucratic hurdles and political exigencies.
It may be recalled that President Musharraf while addressing the referendum rally in Karachi had promised to the citizens to give them two model parks and to complete the abandoned Aiwan-i-Rifaat complex for which provincial and federal government would provide required funds.
The concrete abandoned structure of Aiwan-i-Rifaat auditorium stand haunting amidst beautiful building housing the Supreme Court Registry and Hindu Gymkhana. Informed sources said that the local government earmarked certain amount of money for the construction of Aiwan-i-Rifaat every year, but at the end of the financial year it either allowed to lapse or let it be appropriated for other projects.
The location of the Gutter Baghicha is in the hub of old town while the Askari Park is in the heart of sprawling city of 14 million people. Both the projects are aimed at providing limbs to the badly planned city of high-rises and concrete structures.
The Gutter Baghicha, which appeared shuttling in office files of civic agencies, originally spread over 1017 acres amenity plot has been reduced to some 480 acres. It is a manifestation of corruption and misuse of authority, where vegetables are being cultivated with contaminated water and chemicals drained out from factories.
The once sprawling sewage farm, according to "Karachi Guide and Directory 1915", used to cultivate cereals and green fodder and vegetables whose income went to the garden department of the municipality.
The city government in its budget 2002-2003 had earmarked one million rupees for carrying out initial work to convert the Gutter Baghicha site into a befitting central park but the fund was allowed to lapse.
In last July when the authorities tried to dismantle illegal hydrants from the area the operation was suddenly blocked within two days. The Gutter Baghicha, according to the old record of 1892, was originally spread over 1016 acres with Number 28/108.
Its boundaries in the West used to be old Golimar; Haroonabad and Jahanabad in the East; SITE in the North; and Mewashah Graveyard in the South. The Askari Park, whose development was the responsibility of the Corps-5, could not match its pace of development demonstrated in the completion of Quaid-i-Azam mausoleum park, reportedly due to litigation on some of its sliced plots.
At the open space, which is about 16 acres out of total area of 28 acres, only trees and grass have been planted which did not give any idea of a model park having recreational facilities of main walkway, jogging and walking tracks, geyser fountains, play land for children, women's park, lake, seasonal garden, food courts, students park, public facilities area, gymnasium, woodland, botanical gardens and an army museum.
A visit to the site did not give any idea of a park enriched with modern facilities. At the time of signing ceremony of handing over the possession to the army it was expected to be developed within 12 to 18 months in view of the good work done by the army with the completion of Quaid-i-Azam mausoleum park within a year.
The army has also promised to develop the old Race Course ground into a unique botanical garden, where besides recreational facilities; eco-tourism would also be offered to provide training opportunities to future botanists and horticulturalists.
The four old railway bungalows on the premises after carrying out restoration work will be converted into four museums - city museum, folk art museum, modern art museum, and contemporary art museum - and an open air theatre was also to be established.
An information technology university, software enclosure and one-km-long food and folk street will also be built in the park, where artisan and craftsmen will work and display their skills.
At the time of unveiling its master plan in January 2003, the then Corps Commander Lt Gen Waseem had announced that 120acre botanical garden would cost over one billion rupees to be generated from the public and corporate sector. According to a report, only 20 per cent work had been accomplished so far.
The government also appeared keen to revive regular operation of Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) in the backdrop of instructions from President Musharraf on Jan 5, 2000 to run it on BOT (Build, operate and transfer) basis, the file work continues piling on one pretext or the other as a result no initiative has been taken so far to make the KCR operational.
The KCR operation was suspended on Dec 15, 1999 on the plea that it was recurring losses/deficit to the tune of Rs5 million to Rs6 million annually which, according to an estimate, workout to be 0.03 per cent of its entire annual losses Rs18,000 million.
The failure and losses of the KCR in the past were attributed to the policy of ignoring integrated shuttle service with the schedule of the KCR trains to discourage commuters from using this cheap and popular mode of transport for shuttling between their home and work place as some of the vested interests had eyed on the prime lands of the railways, circles close to KCR said.
