KARACHI, Nov 19: The government has allocated Rs270 million to develop the Sabzimandi as a model fruit and vegetable market of Asia, but the stakeholders of the Sabzimandi have been demanding a proper audit of the accounts before any instalment to be released to the market committee in order to ensure proper utilisation of funds and to prevent misuse, wastage or misappropriation of the fund.

They have suggested that the audit of vouchers and the scrutiny of the statement of fund release, income and expenditure be done on a monthly basis.

The New Sabzimandi, established on the outskirts of the city on Super Highway, has been financed by the Asian Development Bank. It had been made functional with the shifting of all stakeholders of the old Sabzimandi, located next to the Central Prison Karachi on the University Road to its new location.

There have been complaints constantly being made by the stakeholders about mismanagement, corruption, encroachment, unhygienic conditions, etc. ever since the Mandi has been shifted. While a little has been done to address these complaints, the stakeholders have been facing more and more troubles in running their business smoothly at the new place.

Although the New Sabzimandi is spread over an area of 100 acres, as against 17 acres of the old one, mismanagement and disorder, besides neglect, have put the plan of making the project ‘an Asian model’ on the back burner.

In July last year, Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim had intervened into the affairs by constituting a high powered committee to sort out and address the grievances of traders and other stakeholders. The 21-member committee comprises provincial minister Nadir Akmal Leghari and representatives from the 5-Corps Headquarters, KESC, KWSB and National Highway Authority.

According to Mohammad Javed, President of the Malir Fresh Fruit Merchants and Growers Association, despite the passage of more than one year, there has been no information about any recommendations having been made by the committee. On the other hand, he added, even the pressing problems, relating to water supply, power connections, proper maintenance, cleanliness, etc., had still remained unresolved.

He cited the terms of reference of the committee which included examining and suggesting future managements of the Sabzimandi through an autonomous statutory body or corporation; examining feasibility of the establishment of several more Sabzimandis at the major entry/exit points of the city; relocating of the entry/exit gates of the Mandi to avoid traffic hazard; arranging for the audit of the Market Committee accounts and fixing responsibility on the delinquent officials.

The government committee was also supposed to examine whether management of the market committee should be devolved to the district government under the Sindh Local government Ordinance-2001 and to prepare a comprehensive plan for removal of encroachment with the assistance of law enforcement agencies.

In July this year, the chief minister set up another body, namely Parwani Committee, for streamlining the functioning of the Sabzimandi and sorting out the issues pertaining to the documentation and allotment, but its recommendations were yet to be made public, Mr Javed said.

He lamented that the NAB was yet to initiate action on the reference sent to it some six years back by the Sindh ombudsman against those responsible for rampant corruption in the Market Committee.

He pointed out that the secretary agriculture, during a TV discussion on Sabzimandi affairs last month, had announced that chief inspector Abdul Rasheed Shaikh stood transferred, but the official was still there.

The Association’s president has appealed to the chief secretary to ensure removal of all corrupt officials from the Market Committee before releasing any instalment of the funds of the Mandi’s development work. He also suggested that the Mandi’s management be devolved to the city government in accordance with the relevant provision of the SLGO.

Mr Javed called for withdrawal of the Rangers personnel on security duty at the Mandi as they had failed to maintain security and prevent encroachment of genuine allottees’ properties by unscrupulous elements.