The indifferent attitude of the authorities concerned towards public welfare had strengthened the powerful land mafia that has encroached upon thousands of acres of residential and commercial plots belonging to the general public within the jurisdiction of the city administration, it is reliably learnt.
The majority of the land that had been encroached upon, were located in the limits of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), Malir Development Authority (MDA), City District Government Karachi (CDGK) (defunct), Lyari Development Authority and others, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Per details, the KMC allotted 42 plots to the allottees at a cost of Rs 107.002 million some two years back. However, the city administration could not ensure handing over these plots to the genuine allottees.
Besides, the sources said that the defunct CDGK had allotted 19 plots at a cost of Rs 56.575 million in 2009-10 while 23 plots were sold off for Rs 50.427 million in 2010-11 in MDA Scheme-I.
Sources further said that for over a year or so, the land mafia was active in the MDA’s Scheme-1, where the authority had allotted more than 20,000 residential and several hundred commercial plots. The land mafia had been threatening the allotees not to take possession of their properties. The allotees had already paid 50 percent amount to the MDA for the plots, but the KMC administration had miserably failed to clear the lands from encroachers.
Furthermore, the land mafia had already occupied several hundred plots by building semi-permanent structures, while the process of land-grabbing was continuing unabated and unchecked despite the fact that several letters had appeared in the press drawing the attention of the authorities concerned towards this growing menace, according to the sources.
Meanwhile, allottees said that city district government should remove illegal structures from MDA Scheme-1, adding that it would protect the interest of lawful owners who had paid the full value of their plots to the MDA during the last 13 years in Taiser Town Scheme 45.
It should be mentioned here that Taiser Town consisted of 100,000 residential and commercial plots. The MDA had been planning to include plotting under different categories for the low-income group in Taiser Town Scheme 45 and New Malir Housing Scheme Phase-I. The plots would be allocated in Taiser Town and New Malir Housing Scheme for construction of residential units of 80, 120, 240 and 400 square yards for government employees respectively.
The authority had also been planning to provide affordable public housing scheme under the name of “Hawksbay Villas” on the available 12,000 to 15,000 plots (canceled including refunded plots). These houses would be constructed on 120 square yard and 200 square yard plots, within the blocks or areas already marked for development.
Beside, the Sindh auditor general had issued a notice to the KMC to demand short receipts from allottees of plots and said that as per rule 28 of GFR Vol-1, no amount due to the government should be left outstanding without sufficient reason and where any dues appeared to be irrecoverable, the orders of the competent authority for their adjustment should be sought.
The defunct CDGK DO (LM-II) auctioned 42 plots at a cost of Rs 107.002 million, but recovered Rs 68.945 million, leaving an outstanding balance of Rs 38.057 million during 2010-11, which was in clear violation of the above mentioned rule.
When contacted, the KMC Administrator Mohammed Hussain Syed said that various reminders were sent to Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA) to clear the encroachments on KMC land, however a reply in this regard was still awaited. He said when the authority’s LEA team had initiated action against encroachers in Orangi Town several times, however the land mafia had also killed some police personnel who were sent to curb their activities. He further said that repayment of the original amount to the allottees was the only solution to the problem.
