KARACHI, April 17: The issue of Lyari Town’s demarcation is once again raised by the town nazim demanding revival of natural boundaries of the locality.

In a letter addressed to the chairman of National Reconstruction Bureau and higher authorities, Town Nazim Malik Mohammad Fayyaz said the town’s demarcation excluding almost all commercial units and revenue generating areas like Lea Market, Sanitary and Timber markets was unjustified.

He complained that the main areas (like old Kumarwara) were cut off from natural and historic boundaries of the town creating hardships for the residents compelling them to approach to far away Saddar Town offices for redressal of their grievances.

The nazim pointed out that no physical survey and spot study was carried out while preparing the Demarcation Plan in 2000. Being a poor and downtrodden locality in the present setup, every effort for self-generating funds by imposing new taxes or charges have proved futile exercise, he said.

Earlier, the delimitation issue was raised by the former town nazim late Abdul Khalique Juma after local bodies elections. He had stated that the unnatural and illegal merger of Lyari’s old areas in Saddar Town had greatly weakened his town’s financial position and as such the town was unable to execute any development scheme.

The former nazim had also brought the issue to the notice of President Musharraf during his visit to the town when monsoon rains had caused extensive damage to the area infrastructure.

He had also taken up the issue with NRB chairman as well as provincial election commissioner and chief secretary with a request for inclusion of the town’s old commercial areas in the town’s jurisdiction so that the municipal administration could cope up with its financial constraints.

In his recent communication, Town Nazim Malik Mohammad Fayyaz drew the attention of higher authorities saying that the issue must be resolved at the earliest as the town residents have been facing a lot of problems due to paucity of funds.