Industrialists claim the CDGK is issuing illegal utility bills for units located in the jurisdiction of Site — APP/File photo.

KARACHI The industry has lodged a complaint with the Sindh government against the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) for causing harassment by issuing illegal utility bills to industrial units located in jurisdiction of Site Ltd.

The industry in its complaint informed Adviser to Sindh Chief Minister on Investment Zubair Motiwala that the CDGK had no jurisdiction and legal position to issue notices or utility bills related to municipal services or trade licence fee.

Contrary to this the Site town administration of CDGK has been continuously harassing the industry by issuing notices under Land Revenue Recovery Act under which the cases of defaulting industrialists could be referred to civil courts and their owners could be arrested.

The Site Association of Industry informed the adviser that the Site Town of CDGK had no jurisdiction over the area and it belongs to the SITE Ltd, which is also a government body responsible for carrying out development work as well as issuing trade licences.

However, the Site Town continues to harass the industry by issuing notices under the land revenue recovery act, which is only meant to force the industry to enter into informal cost compliance, Chairman Site Association of Industry M A Jabbar alleged.

The SAI further informed the adviser that the Site Town was now issuing utility bills for municipal services to the industry.

It has pointed out that all municipal services were being provided by the SITE Ltd, which is an administrative body like cantonment boards. It is looking after its tenants (industry) which had been allotted land on 99 years lease.

This could also be verified from the fact that for the last 69 years the CDGK never claimed any utility charges or trade licence fee but in the last three years the CDGK District West has begun to issue such notices with a mal- intention, the SAI chief alleged.

In its appeal to the CM's adviser on investment the industry further stated that the SITE Ltd had clarified the position to the Site Town about the jurisdiction, therefore, it has no legal authority to ask for any fee or charges for utilities, which they never provided.

M A Jabbar told Dawn that numerous complaints had poured into his office against the Site Town asking industries to comply with the matter not related to the CDGK.

'Why the industry should pay trade license fee or utility charges to the CDGK when the entire infrastructure, including water, sewerage, roads etc fall under the jurisdiction of Site Ltd?,' he asked.