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18-point KDA revival plan susgested

KARACHI: The officials of the Karachi Development Authority (KDA) have sent a letter to Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf informing him about the ongoing crisis of the KDA and the "negative role of the management."

Soures in the KDA, told PPI here on Saturday that the letter has been written to the Chief Executive as a last hope to save the future of the KDA, which is one of the prestigious autonomous organisation recognised throughout the country. Due to high calibre/expertise of the department even world famous agencies have been considering to issue loans/grants and aids in favour of KDA, the letter said.

It was also informed in the letter to CE that due to the negative role of the management this authority has come as a critical juncture. The KDA is a self-financing authority. Instead of any grant to the authority, Sind government has rather usurped the KDA funds to the extent of billions of rupees. The corrupt administration has never contributed towards the well being of the authority as well as its employees. The top officials in the KDA also mentioned that for the last 10 years not a single scheme has been introduced for public and to earn the livelihood for the KDA employees, nor any planning has been made to run the authority smoothly.

It is also said the participation of official parties have also played an effective role in the destruction of the KDA.

The letter also consists of 18 points suggesting uplift of the authority and its employees. The important points are given below.

1. Immediate merger of LDA/MDA in KDA.

2. KDA pipe factory, the biggest factory of its nature throughout Asia, should be run on commercial basis and the additional land may be disposed off through open auction.

3. Programme may be launched for the ballot/open auction of plots of scheme-42 (Hawksbay) and Scheme-45 (Deh Taiser) already planned by and developed by the KDA.

4. Auction of plots may be held regularly without the embargo of the Income Tax Department which has caused 80 percent decrease in the KDAs income.

5. Urgent measures may be taken by the local administration to save government land including KDA land from the land grabbers.

6. Disposal of KDA house, KDA rest house, Civic Centre annexe, Malir Bund site office, etc., may contribute a lot to KDA funds if auctioned properly.

7. Flat sites may be planned at a large scale under the public housing scheme instead of allotment of flat sites to private construction companies.

8. Another source of income to the KDA be created by reclamation of land of Scheme-5, Clifton, on the pattern of the Defence Housing Authority.

9. The heavy amounts payable to the KDA by Sindh government on account of deposit works, etc., should be cleared forthwith to save KDA from bankruptcy.

10. The intermediatery hindrance for construction of parking plaza adjacent to the Civic Center, Hasan Square, be removed and the DG, KDA may be directed to start the project already planned by the PHS, KDA which is a source of income to the KDA. PPI