KARACHI, July 28: The city government will make the Landhi Abattoir operational within eight months under a public-private partnership at a cost of Rs112 million. An agreement was signed in this regard by a representative of Multix International Corporation and the EDO investment promotion here on Saturday in the presence of City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal.
The nazim recalled that this project was launched in 1965 but remained in the doldrums for 42 years despite the expenditure of millions of rupees.
Mustafa Kamal said the city government would provide all possible help to the private firm but would not compromise on quality.
He asked the firm to start work on the abattoir within seven days of signing of the agreement. He pointed out that in the past efforts were made four times to make it operational, but certain vested interests did not allow it.
The nazim said a committee had been formed to manage the affairs of the abattoir. It would have representatives from the public and private sectors as well as government officials. He said its financial matters would be audited annually.
Multix International Corporation will run the abattoir for 15 years and pay 40 per cent of the income to the city government in the first year and 80 per cent in the last year of the agreement, which will come to about Rs40 million.
Karachi Makami Sahili Tehrik (KMST) Chairman Abdullah Hussain Haroon, Secretary-General Ibrahim Saleh Hingro and other supreme council members have strongly condemned the attack on former Keamari Town nazim Zulfiqar Yunus and demanded the arrest of the culprits involved in the attack.
They said this at a KMST meeting held at Lyari’s Khadda Market here on Saturday. The meeting also criticised the city government for demanding Rs40,000 and Rs100,000 from the allottees of Hawkesbay Scheme 42 for plots of 80 and 120 square yards respectively.
They said the allottees had paid a fixed amount and submitted all the necessary documents but the city government was forcing the owners of these plots to pay an additional amount per plot, otherwise their allotment orders would be cancelled.
The meeting also condemned the Malir Development Authority for allegedly supporting the land mafia.—APP/PPI