KARACHI, Sept 14: City Nazim Naimatullah Khan said that the city government had initiated a spate of development activities and people were witnessing the same with an open eye.

However, he said, the development might not be visible to those who were looking through the spectacle of bias. He said that his opponents were also admitting the development works being carried out in Karachi.

Naimatullah Khan was speaking at the inauguration of Shahrah-i-Landhi on Monday night. The two-kilometre-long and 60-feet-wide road stretching from Dawood Chowrangi to Yunus Chowrangi has been constructed at a cost of Rs30 million.

On the occasion, the nazim also laid the foundation stone of remodelling of Yunus Chowrangi besides unveiling a beautiful monument, constructed at Dawood Chowrangi. He said that the city government was constructing model parks in every town. He maintained that five parks had been inaugurated so far and some others would soon be opened.

In those areas, where the parks had been opened, people were very delighted about availability of a good recreational facility, he added. He urged the philanthropists to come forward and extend financial support to the city government so that work on a number of other development projects could be carried out.

Naimatullah Khan also referred to the Americano plot case and said that the Americano dry cleaners were established in 1955. He said that it was just a coincidence that its lease expired during his tenure and said that the city government refused to re-grant the lease, as the space was to be auctioned.

He said that the owners of Americano approached the court, which gave its verdict in favour of city government. Later, the space was auctioned and the city government earned a revenue of Rs57.60 million.

He said that he was served with a notice for auctioning this space with the instruction to appear before the local government commission. However, he said, when he put the whole situation before the commission, Provincial Finance Minister Syed Sardar Ahmed remarked that "honesty of Naimatullah Khan cannot be challenged".

City Nazim disclosed that Habib Bank had offered the city government to participate in the beautification of Karachi by beautifying a roundabout. "However, I told them that the development of mere one roundabout would not suffice and they should contribute to the development of Karachi and extend full cooperation to the city government in this regard," he said.

He said that all stake holders were contributing towards reconstruction and development of this city and its results would be before the citizens soon. The nazim said that construction work on 20 major roads would begin within the next three months and the work on construction of five flyovers on Sohrab Goth, Hino Chowk, Korangi, Sharea Faisal and Habib Ibrahim Rehmatullah Road intersections was going on at a fast pace.

He further said that large inter-city buses would be banned in congested and busy areas of the city in order to solve traffic problems. He maintained that CNG buses would be inducted to arrest growing pollution.

Fitness certificates would not issued to the old and rickety buses and minibuses. The feasibility report of Mass Transit Project was in its final stage, he added.

Naimatullah Khan declared that the development works to be carried out during the next one year would break all records of the past three years. "Karachiites will remember our services for long while no work will be left for the next incumbent to come on city government," he said.

The ceremony was also addressed by MPA Ahsanullah Hazarvi, former member of provincial assembly Mohammed Aslam Mujahid, Landhi Town Nazim Mohammed Shahid and others.

COLLEGES OPENED: City Nazim Naimatullah Khan inaugurated two girls colleges in Landhi Town on Tuesday. Speaking on the occasion, he said that the Aqsa Government Girls College and the Maryam Government Girls College would benefit girls to have the opportunity of getting education in their own area.

Aqsa college having three-storey building with 10 classrooms on each floor has the capacity of 300 seats for female students in arts and commerce faculties. Maryam college has capacity of 300 seats in arts, science and commerce. Provision of land, furniture and facilities have been made by Landhi Town.

He said that the elimination of illiteracy from Karachi was his top priority and special attention was being paid on establishment and improvement of educational institutes in the city.

He said that opening of 32 new colleges in the city in the last three years was the proof that promotion of education tops at priority list of city government aiming at raising the literacy rate.Referring to the development in health sector, he said that a cardio disease hospital was under construction in FB Area, which would benefit people of adjoining areas.

Among others, President SPLA Riaz Ahsan, union council nazims, naib nazims, councillors and a large number of people were present on the occasion. -APP/PPI