KARACHI, March 17: People who had applied for a plot in Taiser Housing scheme but failed to get a one in the ballot, are visiting the bank for the refund of the amount they deposited along with their application.

The ballotting for Taiser Town, Scheme-45, was performed by President Pervez Musharraf on Jan 15.

A large number of people complained that they are being made to wait for refund, and are being told to wait for display of lists of such applicants who are to be refunded the money in phases.

They have appealed to the concerned authorities to look into this attitude of the concerned Bank and directive be issued for prompt refund of their deposited amount.

They were of the view that there was no reason to hold their money with the bank for such a long time. They demanded that they should be refunded the amount along with interest for the period it is kept with the bank.

A little less than half a million people had applied for plots in the Scheme-45 which is to be completed in five years at a cost of Rs39.5 billion.

Computer balloting was held for 34,762 plots of 80 square yards category and some 416,000 applications were received from all over the country in September 2005 with a pay order for Rs 4500 with each application.

One of the bank branch located in Saima Towers, I.I. Chundrigar Road, maintains that they have received a list of 8,000 applicants for refund of the deposited amount and would make payments as and when they receive lists of the remaining unsuccessful applicants.

—APP