KARACHI: Body on new Sabzimandi criticizes management: Rangers’ role sought
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Feb. 13: The advisory committee of the New Sabzimandi, comprising representatives of stakeholders, has asked the government to acquire services of ranger personnel for security, and to check encroachment and ensure sanitation environment to make the Mandi a model project of the Asian Development Bank.
This demand surfaced during the last meeting of the advisory committee, held with the agriculture secretary in the chair.
During the meeting, the committee members criticized the administration of the market, its administrator, in particular, for non-cooperation with the committee in streamlining the working of the market and indulging in mal-practices.
Insiders told Dawn that President of Malir Fresh Fruit Merchants and Growers Association asked the chairman that if the department was not keen to make the working of the committee transparent, the association itself was prepared to send documents pertaining to malpractices and corruption to the National Accountability Bureau.
He recalled that the advisory committee was set up to look after the day-to-day affairs of the market, improve fee collection by eliminating pilferage of funds and fees, removal of encroachments, improve sanitation, regulate power supply and ensure proper water supply, but so far nothing had been done for want of cooperation from the administrator.
The secretary assured the committee that decisions taken by the advisory committee pertaining to power supply with meters, proper water supply, allotment to genuine allottees and maintenance of hygienic condition in the market, removal of encroachments from parking lots and proper record of entry fee recovery would be implemented within a few weeks, and the sanitation work would be assigned to Gaddap Town from Feb 15 while power meters would be installed and water supply line would be restored after necessary replacement of the damaged lines within one month.
He lauded the work done by the advisory committee which had improved recovery position despite shortcomings. However, there was a need for further streamlining the recovery position.
Mr Mohammad Javed, who is president of the Malir association and senior member of the advisory committee, endorsed the views of the secretary of agriculture, saying that the committee was also not satisfied with the recovery position as according to an estimate, still there was embezzlement of Rs 0.1 million daily due to non cooperation of the administrator.
He said that either the administrator be immediately removed or investigations be initiated or the committee be dissolved for its reconstitution.
He said that the meeting had been held after two months. The market committee, under its administrator, had failed to implement the recommendations of the ombudsman, standing committee and even the advisory committee. Neither action had been initiated for recovery of Rs 7 million from a previous contractor of the market.
Likewise, after withdrawal of the army from the market, illegal allotments were on the rise and the genuine allottees were being deprived of their allotment.
He regretted that no progress had been made to start work on development scheme of under bypass and flyover projects for which Rs350 million were sanctioned.
He suggested that instead of changing the water pipeline in the market at a cost of Rs4.5 million, the project should be handed over to the Karachi Water Board for replacing the damaged pipelines.
