KARACHI, Dec 10: The Sindh government has constituted a four-member committee to ensure transparency in the allotment and regularisation process vis-a-vis the New Sabzi Mandi.

The committee, set up by Secretary Agriculture Mr Mohkamuddin Qadri, comprises director general of Agriculture Extension, Hyderabad, section officer (PMP) of the provincial Agriculture Department, administrator of the Market Committee and secretary of the Market Committee.

The committee has been asked to complete its assigned task within 90 days of the issuance of this notification.

Meanwhile stakeholders of the New Sabzi Mandi have expressed their concern over the handling of the affairs by the committee.

They said that instead of giving priority to the issuing of allotments to those who had been shifted from the old Sabzi Mandi on the documents issued to them by the defunct Karachi Municipal Corporation, the committee had started its work with the processing of the cases of those who had somehow managed to obtain allotment letters after the Sabzi Mandi was shifted to the new site.

The New Sabzi Mandi, being developed on the Super Highway, had been moved from University Road more than six years back but it was still without basic amenities. The stakeholders have to make arrangements from such essential amenities on their own on an ad hoc basis.

In July last year, Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim had constituted a committee with the task of streamlining the New Sabzi Mandi’s affairs and looking into the complaints lodged by its stakeholders.

The committee, headed by Kishanchand Perwani, has directed the Market Committee to get all encroachments removed.

It also issued allotment letters in the light of the recommendations put forward by the competent authority.

The committee confirmed all allotments, including 180 through the now defunct KMC, issued by Brig Qadir. However, 63 allotments ordered by Col Javed Iqbal, 54 by administrator Jabbar Abbasi and 109 by Abubakar Zardari were declared illegal.

In April last year, secretary agriculture had visited the New Sabzi Mandi and assured the stakeholders that electricity meters would be installed there ‘within 15 days’ and water supply to the mandi at the earliest would also be ensured. However, nothing was done in the next 20 months.

The stakeholders, including the Malir Fresh Fruit Merchants and Growers Association, have drawn attention of the authorities to the increasing robbery incidents at the mandi and demanded deployment of the Rangers within and around the facility.

They said the deployment was vital to ensure safety and security, and check crime in the whole area.