January 14, 2006	Saturday	Zilhaj 13, 1426

KARACHI, Jan 13: The applicants of Taiser Town housing scheme, announced by the city district government last year, are anxiously waiting for the announcement of the date for balloting of plots by the Malir Development Project.

The aspirants had deposited Rs4,600 with each application in the Allied Bank of Pakistan for 80-square-yard plots in Scheme-45 and thousands of applications were received by the authorities concerned.

However, balloting is being delayed on one pretext or the other. The depositors claimed that when the city council had been completed with the election of its naib nazima Nasreen Jaleel, there should be no cause for delay in the announcement of the balloting date.

The depositors, who have invested money, are waiting for reimbursement in case they do no get a plot in the project.

They said they had deposited the money in the hope that the process of balloting would be completed in a couple of weeks and that the money thus refunded by the city government would be utilized for some other purpose, but they have been kept in the dark by the Malir Development Project.

As the balloting is being delayed, doubts are being expressed by various quarters, including some politicians. Besides, the applicants have started facing problems in view of high prices, as they can’t afford to spare their savings for such a long time.

The City District Government Karachi had earlier announced that the balloting would be conducted through Nadra to ensure transparency, but the applicants wondered how much time would be required for computerized balloting of plots, and how long it would be further delayed.

Sources in the city government said that people from throughout the country had given an extra-ordinary response and that was the reason that thousands of applications had been deposited along with the requisite fee, and the city government was in a fix how to accommodate such a large number of applicants.

Sources said if the city government immediately announced a date for balloting, it would require at least three to four months to complete the process of refund.

The applicants said the Malir Development Project authorities should at least send letters to the applicants informing them about a possible date for holding of balloting and they should also ensure the depositors that their amount was safe, and if they wanted an immediate refund, they could make so by applying to the city government.

Moreover, a large number of people who did not apply for 80-square-yard plots are waiting for the finalization of the 80-square-yard plots scheme so that the process for 120-square-yard plots could begin and they could apply.

The city government had twice extended the date for submission of forms with the requisite amount.

The applications were received for Taiser Town scheme in September and since then the balloting has been delayed. The government had earlier announced a date for balloting last month, but it was cancelled forthwith.

The applicants further demanded that the city government should inform them about the details of amenities and welfare plots in Taiser Town.

They stressed that balloting for this mega scheme should be conducted through NADRA to ensure transparency in its allotment, otherwise, it was feared that these plots would be allotted on political grounds.