KARACHI, Jan 10: The city council on Saturday expressed deep concern over the construction of a police station on an amenity plot designated for a hospital in Site Town, and demanded immediate end to the construction work.

The session held with Naib Nazim Tariq Hasan in the chair unanimously passed a resolution which was tabled by Dr Ziauddin, member of the council from Site.

Dr Ziauddin informed the house that an amenity plot located in UC 6, Frontier Colony Site Town, was designated for construction of a hospital in the tenure of the previous local government, for which the boundary wall was also constructed.

"But through a notification issued recently, the construction of a police station has been started on the said plot, causing resentment among the area people," he said.

He termed it an act of usurpation of the rights of the area people who had great expectations of better health-care facilities. "The construction of a police station on an amenity plot is ridiculous," he said.

Through a resolution endorsed by members from all groups, he demanded halt to the construction and expressed the hope that the CDGK would provide funds for the hospital project.

The council also passed a resolution for increase in the rent of six banks established on CDGK land. The Land Revenue Committee of the CDGK would also provide a list of lands where rent needs to be increased.

The council also expressed solidarity with the Christian community on the Young Men Christian Association (YMCA) issue and termed the registration of an organization in the name of YMCA an illegal act.

The council approved to refer the katchi abadies lease rates to the department concerned to remove the flaws pointed out by council members.

The council members severely criticised the finance department of the CDGK for adopting double standards in the payment of arrears to the members of council on account of honorarium, as the Nazim, the Naib Nazim and town Nazims have been paid arrears.

"Despite the notifications of the Sindh government, the department is reluctant to take any step in this regard", a member, Haji Siddique Rathore, remarked. Saeed Ghani, Abdul Aziz, Jafarul Hasan and Noor Jokhio were among those who participated in the debate.- PPI