KARACHI, July 11: The city government has decided to auction out land of various commercial sites in the metropolis to establish welfare projects there under public-private partnership.

The city government is expecting billions of rupees as revenue from auctioning of land of 30 CNG stations and petrol pumps, two multi-storey parking plazas, shopping centres and food courts, 150 shops, 27 local-level bus termini and other commercial concerns in the city.

The decision would also help in resolving various problems, including deteriorating transport system, in the city, said a city government statement issued here Tuesday.

To make the auction process transparent and its monitoring a special cell has been established. EDO Enterprise and Investment Promotion would be the head of the cell while EDO IT, DO Co-ordination, a representative officer of EDO (Works and Services) and a representative officer of the respective department pertaining to the land to be auctioned would be its members.

The decision in this connection was taken at a meeting held on the instruction of City Nazim Mustafa Kamal here on Tuesday with DCO Fazlur Rehman in the chair.

The meeting reviewed various suggestions regarding increase in revenue and building of public welfare projects on vacant lands and decided to involve maximum number of people in the auctioning process so as to make it transparent.

It was told that the auction of 28 shops of food court and petrol pump and shops at Yousuf Goth Bus terminal would be completed within a week.

Shops and offices at under construction Lines Area parking plaza, under construction parking lot at Jehangir Kothari Parade, 150 shops at Schon Circle and vacant land at Bohri Bazaar, Saddar would be auctioned while shopping plaza at Zaibunnisa Street, and shopping and parking plaza near Shaheen Complex would be constructed.

The EDO transport was asked to identify 27 local-level bus termini where CNG stations and petrol pumps were set up.

Qiraat Contest: The cultural wing of the city government’s community development department is holding a Qiraat contest on July 22 at Khaliqdina Hall to select Huffaz and Qari, who will represent Karachi in the annual Mehfil-i-Shabina to be held in Shah Faisal Mosque, Islamabad in the holy month of Ramzan.

The city government has asked Huffaz and Qaris, who are willing to participate in the contest to obtain registration forms from Khaliqdina Hall, Karachi and submit the same by July 20.—PPI