April 26, 2008	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 19, 1429

KARACHI, April 25: Illegal occupants of the shops, sheds and open spaces at the New Sabzi Mandi could not have been dislodged yet despite intervention of the provincial ombudsman and clear directives from the Sindh government.

It was on June 24, 2000 that former Sindh Ombudsman Justice Haziqul Khairi had ordered removal of all encroachments raised by the holders of illegal allotment letters.

Later, the Sindh government issued orders for the cancellation of the illegal allotments and demolition of all illegal structures raised by certain people on the premises of the Mandi in violation of the approved plan. However, all such directives have remained unheeded as the Market Committee has turned a blind eye towards the practices of the unscrupulous elements.

The provincial government’s directives were issued by the director general, agriculture extension, on March 18, 2008 with reference to the orders he had received from the higher authorities.

The stakeholders, represented by the All Vegetable Tajir Biradri Alliance and the Malir Wholesale Fruit Merchants & Growers Association, had drawn the attention of the chief secretary to the issuance of illegal allotment letters and illegally raised shops and sheds. These structures were built on the open spaces reserved for parking and fire stations.

In the complaint, they had pointed out that encroachment on the amenity plots within the Market had been resorted to in the presence of 40 security guards, deployed by the Market Committee.

President of the association Mohammad Javed is of the view that had ombudsman’s order been implemented soon after it was issued some eight years back, not only the encroachment would have be removed but corruption would also have been eliminated from the Market Committee. “It’s corruption that has defaced the New Sabzi Mandi, a model project financed by the Asian Development Bank,” he said.

He appealed to Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, the minister and officials concerned, to visit the Sabzi Mandi in order to realise the plight of the stakeholders.

Mr Javed pointed out that in addition to the plots reserved for parks and fire stations, those meant for electricity substation and parking were converted to shops.

He said that in a letter addressed to the administrator of the Market Committee, the director general of agriculture had ordered emergency steps for the demolition of illegal structures on certain amenity plots and also in the Block P-2. The administrator was also asked to submit a compliance report. However, neither the orders were carried out not was the report submitted.

Mr Javed produced two allotment letters of the same number issued to two different parties for the ownership of Plot No. B-1 B/01. Similar was the case of the plot No.B-1 B/02.

He claimed that Rs290 million earmarked by the government for basic amenities were unaccounted for, and pointed out that the daily income of the Market Committee under the head of “vehicle entry fee” had surprisingly come down to Rs60,000-Rs65,000 in the current season as against Rs90,000-Rs95,000 in the last season.