KARACHI, Feb 22: For the past many years, the maladministration and corruption in the affairs of New Sabzi Mandi has remained a bone of contention between the authorities at one side and growers, traders and other stake-holders on the other.

The stake-holders have been agitating over the issue using political platforms and resorted to take the matter to the judicial forums, including the institution of ombudsman. However, nothing has changed due to the non-implementation of the ombudsman’s verdict.

After failing to get justice, the aggrieved parties have againtook up the matter with the elected representatives by raising the issue on the floor of the House through an MPA, Abdullah Murad. However, it appeared from the response of the agriculture minister to the supplementary questions, that nothing was going to change.

The minister was asked supplementary questions by various members about the number of shops in the Mandi, number of genuine allottees who were not given possession, justification of unplanned building structures on the allotted plots, unaccounted for tender money amounting to Rs22 million, etc.

The minister confined his response to the statement that a three member technical committee was set up to look into the affairs and a report was to be submitted to him with in three weeks.

Among those who raised supplementary questions were Abdullah Murad, Humera Alwani, Nasrullah Khan and Hameedullah Khan.

In reply to a question of Ghulam Qadir Chandio about winding up of SAZDA, the planning minister, Shoaib Bokhari replied that it was wound up on Nov 12, 2002 and the 667 employees, were not sacked but being paid their salaries and assured of pension. He said that they would be absorbed in other departments.

The Local Government Minister, Muhammad Hussain, informed the House that the SAZDA was closed due to the transfer of its responsibilities and functions to the local government under the new devolution plan. However, the chief minister had formed a task force which would review the situation keeping in view of the political situation and the interests of Sindh before presenting its recommendations to the federal government for necessary amendments in the Local Government Ordinance.

Arbab Ghulam Rahim, however, defended the decision of winding up the SAZDA as it was not serving any purpose.

Regarding another question by Mr Chandio about the sugarcane cess committee, the Agriculture Minister, Arif Jatoi said that the committee was formed for District Nawabshah and headed by District Nazim with the DCO, EDO (Revenue), EDO (Works), EDO (Agriculture), Taluka Nazims of the district, MD of the concerned mill and two growers from each taluka as its members. The growers’ representatives are to be nominated by the government.