KARACHI, Nov 18: The government is likely to allot about 1,947 acres to 20 medical and educational organisations in the Education City project within a month to initiate development work in the project, which was launched some seven years ago.

The project was initiated by then Sindh governor, Lieutenant-General (retired) Moinuddin Haider, in 1999. However, the formal notification to declare the area of Deh Chuhar as Education City was issued in March 2006 after the Sindh cabinet approved this project.

The project was included in the city’s master plan and 1,360 acres has already been given to eight leading educational and health institutions some three years ago whereas 20 more applications of different organisations were under process.

The eight allottees are: Aga Khan University (500 acres), SZABIST (300 acres), Sindh Madressah Board Quiad-i-Azam Public School (200 acres), Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology (SSUET) (200 acres), the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) (100 acres), Newport Institute of Communications and Economics (20 acres), Shaukat Khanum Cancer Memorial Hospital and Research Centre (20 acres) and Ziauddin Medical University (20 acres).

The three organisations — the Aga Khan University, SSUET and the ZMU — submitted separate applications for acquiring 500 acres, 200 acres and 25 acres of additional land in the city.

Other applicants are Internet Media City (200 acres), Judicial Academy (150 acres), National University (150 acres), Memon University (100 acres), Memon Medical (100 acres), Shah Wilayat (100 acres), Foundation Public School (70 acres), Institute of Business Administration (IBA-KU) (50 acres), S.M. Law College (50 acres), PICIC (50 acres); Khadim Ali Shah Bukhari Mosvi (50 acres); Aga Khan Academy (50 acres); Iqra University (50 acres); Adam Education Society (25 acres); BIZTEK (20 acres), Allah Bux Magsi Society (12 acres) and Fatima Welfare (five acres).

Sources disclosed that the Sindh government would soon allot 1,947 land in the city to the 20 organisations as per their requirements after approval from the competent authority.

“The process would be completed in a month time,” said a city government official.

Recently, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad held a meeting with all stakeholders to review the problems and hurdles in the development of the Education City project where officials of the Master Plan department gave him a detailed briefing.

Sources said the quick disposal of land to the applicants was a part of implementation on the governor’s directives, who wanted that the development work should begin within two months.

The sources said City Nazim Mustafa Kamal had also directed all concerned departments to speed up their efforts to make the project a reality.

The sources said that the city government would begin development work in the Education City early next year.