KARACHI: While taking notice of the news story published in Pakistan Today the other day, the Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has imposed a ban on allotment and conversion of industrial plots into commercials, directing the chief secretary to put up a policy to the cabinet for further discussion and approval.
He issued these directives while presiding over a meeting regarding commercialisation of industrial plots at SITE Karachi.
The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Mumtaz Ali Shah, Principal Secretary to CM Sajid Jamal Abro, Local Government Secretary Khalid Hyder Shah, Industries Secretary Haleem Shaikh, SITE managing director and other concerned officers.
It was pointed out that land measuring 152 acres of SITE was allotted for commercial purposes in total, whereby three acres were given for a cinema, four acres for banks, 23 acres for CNG stations, 40 acres for godowns three acres for hotels, 40 acres for offices & showrooms, 26 acres for petrol pumps, one acre each for a shopping centre and a post office, seven acres for shops and for the remaining for several other usages.
The chief minister was told that the allotment was being made by the board of the SITE comprising eight government and 7 tenants and industrialists.
The allotment is legal but the plots were meant for industrial purposes, therefore they cannot be allotted for commercial or other purposes.
The chief minister was also informed that the plots measuring 153 acres were converted into commercial plots illegally. They include 13 acres for banks, 15 for CNG stations, nine for godowns, 73 acres for showrooms, 19 petrol pumps, six for shopping centres, five for shops, 11 for weighbridge, one for school and one acre for the workshop.
Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that no doubt the SITE areas are established for industrial purposes but it is being wrongly changed into commercial which was illegal.
The chief minister directed the chief secretary to put up the matter to the provincial cabinet and with immediate effect impose a complete ban on allotment and conversion of plots.
