KARACHI, March 29: Sindh Chief Secretary Shakil Durrani has taken notice of the alleged irregularities in the allotment of shops in the New Sabzi Mandi and directed the agriculture secretary to submit to him a comprehensive report on all affairs of the Mandi within a week.

Allottees of the shops, given to them in 2001 in lieu of their places of business in the old Sabzi Mandi on University Road, have long been trying to draw the relevant authorities’ attention to, what they allege, financial irregularities, encroachment, mismanagement and corruption on the part of the officials concerned, besides non-availability of water, power, sewerage facilities and poor condition of roads.

Over the past six years, numerous complaints have been lodged with the authorities in this regard but nothing has so far been done except for the formation of committees, they maintain.

President of the Malir Wholesale Fresh Fruit Merchants and Growers Association Mohammad Javed wondered that while footpaths elsewhere in the city were being cleared of all sorts of encroachments, those within the New Sabzi Mandi were being allotted to encroachers.

Demanding cancellation of all illegal allotments, he cited examples where an auction shed valued at Rs39,500 was allotted to a party ready to pay an additional amount of Rs300,000.

He pointed out that in the car parking areas alone, 150 shops were carved out in violation of the Mandi’s layout plan approved on February 14, 2005. Later, the market committee prepared a new layout plan to justify the move. If approved and implemented, the new plan would create congestion and unhygienic conditions across the Mandi that would have no parking facility or motorable road.

He also regretted that instead of recognising claims of the old KMC allottees, who were deprived of their legitimate rights on one pretext or the other, favourites were given shops by the officials concerned.

Mr Javed recalled that about three months back, the government had made a commitment to allocate Rs270 million for providing water, electricity meters and proper road communication facilities but the commitment was yet to be fulfilled as yet. Even the road-building had not been started whereas the stakeholders were meeting the essential requirements on their own and spending heavily on getting water.

He lamented that the stakeholders’ complaints lodged with the National Accountability Bureau over the past six years had failed to prompt some action while the irregularities and embezzlement in the entry fee revenues were being committed unchecked.

He appealed to the chief minister and the secretary concerned to pay a visit to the Sabzi Mandi to see the deteriorating conditions by themselves at the Mandi, which had been projected as the model market place of world standards and financed by the Asian Development Bank.

He also appealed to the provincial government to consider transfer of the Mandi’s management to the City District Government Karachi in compliance of the SLGO 2001.