The Malir Development Authority (MDA) had introduced the New Malir Housing Project MDA Scheme No 01 in late 1997 and after wide publicity collected billions of rupees from the poor people by selling residential plots of 400, 200 and 100 sq yards.
After passing almost 14 years, no significant development work has so far been carried out. Initially, MDA constructed a few roads and gave impression that large scale development works were carried out which was an effort to hoodwink by grabbing maximum money from allottees besides earning more interests through banks.
The allottees are now receiving repeated warning letters from MDA to pay the amount of grid station at the rate of Rs 40,000 against 400 yards plot and Rs 20,000 on 200 sq yards plot each, otherwise facing cancellations of the plots that seems unjustified at this stage.
Unfortunately, the present market value of the plots is less than 50 percent of the face value. Many allottees are of view some MDA officers in connivance with land mafia have created such artificial conditions for their own vested interests fearing drowning of billion of rupees of poor allottees.
A large number of people had already paid their most of the dues. However, they were hesitant to pay further charges in view of MDAs continuous lack of interest in development work as land mafia has artificially reduced the prices of the plots. In the mean time, allottees are receiving warning letters from MDA repeatedly to face cancellation of their allotments if the development charges and grid station charges are not paid at the earliest.
MDA has already collected billions of rupees from the sale of the plots and also by keeping the amount in banks and earned huge interests for a long period of 14 years.
I suggest the MDA authorities to carry out all major development work of the Scheme No 01 without wasting further time from the huge amount they had already collected from the allottees in order to regain confidence of the allottees. Once all necessary development works are completed by the MDA, the allottees would pay the rest of the charges happily.
MOHAMMAD KHAN SIAL
Karachi