HYDERABAD Development Authority (HDA) had announced a new housing scheme, Gulistan-i-Sarmast, Phase-IV in February. The last date for the submission of the applications was towards the end of March.

The draw for the successful applicants for plots of land was scheduled soon after the last date, and as per brochure of the housing scheme, the list of successful applicants was supposed to be displayed at the specified Allied Bank branches and the Gulistan-i-Sarmast head office.

But unfortunately, to date the draw has not been conducted, nor has the list of successful applicants been displaced at any of the specified places. On the contrary, letters have been sent to some of the applicants, declaring them successful, asking them for the payment of the remaining installments.

This raises questions on the transparency of the selection of successful applicants through a draw and creates doubts in the selection process.

I urge the Sindh chief minister, the local government minister and authorities concerned to take notice of this irregularity to making the process of selection of applicants transparent and ask HDA to display the list of successful applicants at the places specified in the brochure of the housing scheme.

Dr Altaf Siyal
Hyderabad

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2020