KARACHI, Aug 24: Having earlier allotted certain portions of the new Sabzi Mandi illegally and issuing allotment letters in this regard, the management of the Mandi’s Market Committee is now demanding that the owners of these areas vacate their premises or face legal action.

While the Market Committee has taken this step in a bid to bypass a directive issued by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) regarding the removal of encroachments, traders are expected to bear losses over properties they bought in good faith from the same Market Committee.

Through advertisements published in newspapers on Aug 15, the management committee of the Super Highway’s main vegetable market directs “the illegal occupants of plots, sheds, shops or open spaces to remove their possessions otherwise legal action [will] be taken against them and all such encroachments would be demolished at their cost.”

The old allottees of the Sabzi Mandi pointed out that this demand pertains to structures built on spaces that were illegally allotted in the first place by the administration. The president of the Fresh Fruit Merchants and Growers Association (FFMGA), Mohammed Javed, claims that by publishing these advertisements, the Mandi’s Market Committee has ignored the official directive and shifted responsibility on to the shoulders of the merchants.

During a briefing at the NAB headquarters on Aug 2, Sindh NAB Director-General Maj-Gen Mukhtar Ahmed and Sindh Chief Secretary Ejaz Ahmed Qureshi gave the Market Committee management two weeks to clear the Sabzi Mandi of all irregularities, including corruption. The DG NAB referred to issues of fake allotment, price control, hoarding, the removal of encroachments and the maintenance of parking space and reserved areas for amenities vehicles and warned of action unless these grievances were addressed.

After the briefing on Aug 2, a meeting was held at the Sindh Chief Secretary’s office on Aug 18 when the Market Committee was warned that in case of failure to remove illegal constructions and cancelled illegal allotments issued in violation of the approved plan, an FIR would be lodged against the Committee officials found responsible.

According to FFMGA president Mr Javed, the Market Committee has failed to implement these directives and is attempting to cover up the violations committed earlier. Appealing to the NAB chief and the CS to direct the committee to restore the status of a model market as envisaged by the Asian Development Bank, Mr Javed emphasised the hardship being suffered by old allottees who are denied water connections, power supplies and cleanliness although they paid for all these facilities when the Mandi was shifted from University Road seven years ago.