KARACHI: Second parking plaza in Saddar planned: Over 1,700 shopkeepers to be relocated
KARACHI, Jan 16: On the directive of City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal, the city district government will construct another parking plaza, which will have a parking capacity for hundreds of vehicles, in Saddar area.
This will be the second parking plaza being constructed in Saddar at the site of Shahabuddin Market adjacent to Empress Market. Work on the first plaza has almost been completed near Dawakhana to make Saddar a parking-free zone.
Keeping the growing parking problems in busy commercial areas, the nazim had issued directives to the city government’s transport department for the construction of commercial parking plazas in various areas. The transport department has acquired the services of a consultant for survey, engineering and designing for the construction of this multi-storeyed parking/commercial plaza at the site of Shahabuddin market. After the project’s completion, Saddar will be declared a parking-free zone.
Impediments
The only hindrance in the construction of the second parking plaza was 1,721 shops in Shahabuddin Market which had been rented out by the defunct Karachi Municipal Corporation for a long time.
To overcome the problem and start the construction work as soon as possible, 840 shops have been built temporarily on three recently-acquired plots a few hundred paces away from the Empress Market so that business of Shahab Market shopkeepers was not affected.
On the directive of City Nazim Mustafa Kamal, the estate department of the city government has completed the allotment of temporary shops for 1,721 shopkeepers of Shahabuddin Market.
According to the city government, 629 shops will be shifted to their new premises in the first phase and some shopkeepers have already started shifting voluntarily from January 15.
Mr Kamal will soon lay the foundation stone of the parking plaza.
Landhi blast
A condolence meeting will be held for the Landhi blast victims at the Women Centre on January 18 at 3pm by Landhi Town Council.
This was decided in a meeting, chaired by Landhi Town Naib Nazim Dr Irshad Ahmed, held at town office on Wednesday.
The naib nazim said that enemies were hatching conspiracies to deteriorate the country’s law and order situation. He requested people to inform the council about suspected persons if they witness them in their localities on phone numbers 021-5035724 and 0300-2008437.
Tax collection
New Karachi Town Council, meanwhile, adopted a resolution regarding levying tax, fee and imposing fines under Section-54-A (I) of the Sindh Local Government Ordinance 2001.
The town adopted the resolution in its 25th meeting chaired by Presiding Officer Ansar Ali. The participants of the meeting hoped that the adopted resolution would improve tax collection structure of the town which would help increase the town’s revenue.—PPI