KARACHI: Sabzi Mandi affairs yet to be streamlined
By Habib Khan Ghori
KARACHI, May 16: Although more than six years have passed since the fruit and vegetable market, popularly known as Sabzi Mandi, was shifted from the University Road to Super Highway, the stakeholders of the mandi are yet to get even basic facilities and continue to complain about mismanagement and corrupt practices on the part of the relevant authorities.
Citing recommendations by the provincial ombudsman under which cases for corruption were registered against certain officials of the market committee, they deplored that the same functionaries were being posted again and again at the behest of vested interests. As a result, the Asian Development Project aimed at giving the metropolis a ‘model market’ had turned into an eyesore, they remarked.
They pointed out that the elements working for the vested interests appeared to be so influential that they flouted even the order of a chief minister, a reference to the decision taken by former chief minister Ali Mohammad Maher to transfer the management of the new Sabzi Mandi from the agriculture department to the city government, in accordance with the SLGO-2002.
The decision had been taken on the recommendations of a subcommittee, constituted to look into the complaints of maladministration, corruption, encroachments, etc. The stakeholders pointed out that with the only exception of the new Sabzi Mandi in Karachi, all vegetable and fruit markets in the province were under the control of their respective local government.
The Malir Fresh Fruit Merchants and Growers Association has written a letter to the chief secretary to draw his attention to the FIRs registered against certain officials of the Market Committee Karachi regarding corruption and misuse of authority. The administrator of the committee, Abubakr Zardari, secretary, Abdul Rasheed Shaikh, account officer, Mohammad Ayaz Khan, and some other people were nominated in the FIRs and some action had also been initiated against them, it noted. However, they were being reinstated in the market committee without making them to get themselves cleared of the serious charges, the association wondered.
Giving example of Abdul Rasheed Shaikh, who has been posted as chief inspector of the Market Committee, President of the Association Mohammad Javed, has requested the chief secretary to send the cases of all those nominated in the FIRs to the National Accountability Bureau for proper inquiry, and expedite the matter so that the affairs of the Sabzi Mandi could be streamlined.
He has also appealed to the chief minister and governor of Sindh to transfer the management of the Sabzi Mandi to the city government as provided under the SLGO-2002 and ordered by the former chief minister.
