KARACHI, Nov 21: A large number of District Nazims from Sindh, who called on Gen Musharraf in Islamabad recently, lodged a protest to the president against undue interference by the provincial secretaries in internal affairs of district governments.

Though the city Nazim Naimatullah Khan did not press this point but similar situation persists in Karachi also, which came to limelight this month when all the 18 town administrations were working hard to establish maximum number of bachat bazaars in their respective areas.

Though complaints have been received from other towns also, but the authorities in Gulshan-i-Iqbal town came close to exchange of hot words with a senior secretary of the provincial government.

A directive by the federal government has been issued to all the district governments of the country to ensure that maximum number of bachat bazaars in their respective areas are set up. In response to the letter, the city government directed all the town administrations for the same and in Karachi the responsibility to organize and give permission for holding the bazaars have been given to the town Nazims.

Some influential people have been given permission to hold a bachat bazaar in Areo Club near Nipa in Gulshan-i-Iqbal by a senior secretary of the provincial government.

While the Nazim, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, had given permission for holding 20 bachat bazaars in the town, charging fees from them ranging from Rs6,000 to 60,000.

The fee has been charged on the basis of location, area of plot and duration of the bazaar, whereas some of the fee is also charged by town administration for holding any mela (carnival) or any bazaar on privately owned plot, as the town administration has to clean up the area and other facilities used by visitors and participants.

The issue surfaced when those given permission for the bachat bazaar in Aero Club came to know that the town had permitted another party to hold a bachat bazaar on the main road.

They approached the town Nazim, Abdul Wahab, and demanded to cancel the permission given by him for holding of the bachat bazaar on the road as it might suppress the Aero Club bazaar.

Instead of cancelling the bazaar, the Nazim asked the town fee from the organizers, which infuriated them resulting in exchange of hot words.

According to sources, the town Nazim had received a couple of calls from the provincial secretary asking to cancel the bachat bazaar allocated by him in front of the Areo Club.

The town Nazim has lodged a complaint with the city government in this regard.

Only one permission has been given to hold a bazaar at private land in Gulshan-i-Iqbal town, which has charged Rs20,000 for a bachat bazaar in PIA planetarium.

The Gulshan town has 24 weekly bazaars already being held in different places, for which permission were given by different authorities, including Bureau of Supply and Prices, District East administration, the defunct KMC and the KDA.

At present, only the KDA remains a working department, which is expected to become part of the city government early next year, whereas the other three have been abolished to be incorporated in district government under the devolution plan.

The town administration plans to check and re-allot all sites of weekly bazaars through auction after Eid as there have been reports that a few individuals hold permission of 80 per cent of bazaars in Gulshan town.— PPI