Illegal Bachat bazaars being run across city

Despite clear directives from Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) to take action against illegal Bachat bazaars, these makeshift markets are being operated at various localities of city under the very nose of Enterprise & Investment Promotion (E&IP) Department.
Municipal Commissioner (MC) Karachi after holding a meeting with Administrator Karachi, Mohammad Hussain Syed, some four days back had asked the relevant department to take immediate action against all illegal and defaulter Bachat Bazaars operating in different areas of the city.
Sources said that public parks and playgrounds besides streets were being encroached under the garb of Bachat bazaar by a mafia of profiteers, patronised by some corrupt officers E&IP department of KMC. Sources said that KMC failed to achieve the fixed target of revenue collection from these Bachat bazaars due to malpractices of the corrupt officers.
They said dishonest officers have caused losses to local government depriving it from 70 percent of revenue that Bachat bazaars are generating. The EIP had allowed the private organisers of 90 Bachat bazaars to acquire land at a rate of Rs 3 per square yard. A small bachat bazaar is about 1, 000 square yards covered by 20 tents measuring 15/30 feet while a big Bachat bazaar uses at least 150 tents. Thus a small Bachat bazaar generates just Rs 3, 000, sources said
The purpose of Bachat bazaar was to provide relief to common men providing easy access to all essential commodities under a single roof and temporary arrangements. Sources said that KMC had failed to achieve its annual target of revenue collection from these Bachat bazaars due to malpractice of corrupt officers.
Sources said E&IP department was asked to prepare a list of regular Bachat bazaars but despite passage of one month it could not compile the said list. They claimed the list provided to Municipal Commissioner was bogus which showed the mala fide of the concerned department.
Meanwhile, Administrator KMC Muhammad Hussain Syed issued directives to Enterprise & Investment Promotion Department to take immediate action against the illegal and defaulter Bachat bazaars being organised within the jurisdiction of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation. He said that strict action would be taken if these illegal bazaars would not close down right away.
Administrator Karachi said lot of complaints were received about such Bachat bazaars in various locations of the city and which did not comply with the rules and regulations and failed to provide utility items to citizens on lesser rates. He said holding of such bazaars was aimed at providing facilities to citizens so that they could purchase the household and utility items from the same place on reduced cost.
According to Senior Director E&IP Shoaib Muhammad Khan, a total of 77 Bachat bazaars presently held every week in Karachi out of which 9 in district Central, 30 in district West, 36 in district East and 9 in district Malir held on different days of the week. He warned all stall holders and those people who provide the decoration and lighting for illegal Bachat bazaars to refrain from such practice or they would be responsible for their own loss.
He also directed the organisers of Bachat bazaars to contact the office of E&IP Department at Civic Centre within seven days so that their documents could be verified, otherwise all such bazaars will be close down whose organisers would not possess the formal permission.