KARACHI, Nov 11: Thousands of people, who had applied for allotment of 80 yards plots in Taiser Town, Scheme 45, are anxiously waiting from the last two months for balloting.

The scheme, which was floated by the Malir Development Authority for low- income families, was in accordance to priority policy of the government to provide homes to homeless. But even over two months after as neither balloting has been held, nor had any date been fixed for balloting.

The Taiser Township scheme was conceived by the defunct Karachi Development Authority but was in limbo for long for want of coordination between various departments. Later on in year 2000, former Sindh Governor Mohammadmian Soomro clamped a ban on allotment of plots. The ban was lifted by Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad to facilitate people from low-income groups to own a piece of land and build a house.

When a presentation was given to the governor before launching the scheme, Governor Ibad had stressed the need for facilitating its allottees with approved maps and other related documents in the form of package so that people could be saved from routine hassle and complications of fulfilling its formalities.

The governor had also directed the authorities for ensuring provision of water, power and gas and to take care of development of internal and external roads before hand.

Under the scheme, a total of 0.1 million plots of 80 yards and 120 yards would be developed for allotment in three phases. In the first phase applications were invited for 12,000 plots. But in response over 0.1 million people submitted the forms with required initial amount of Rs 4600 inclusive of Rs 100 form fee.

But as there was no intimation from authorities about fate of their applications numbering over ten times from the available plots, the people are worried whether they would be able to get a plot in the balloting or not and in case of disappointment when their money would be reimbursed to them.

The applicants have appealed to the governor to order the authorities for an early balloting as according to the terms of condition, the period of delivery of possession of the plot was expected to be 60 months from the date of confirmation of allotments.

They were of the views that already the period of handing over possession was of five years from the date of confirmation of the allotment, the delay in balloting would further increase the waiting period and by the time they would get the possession, the cost of construction material and labour charges would become beyond the reach of common man, they pointed out.