The ongoing tussle between Enterprises and Investment Promotions (E&IP) department of Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) and Department of Bureau of Supplies and Prices Control, Sindh over collection of revenue from Bachat Bazaars has delayed launching drive action against illegal Bachat Bazaar being operated in city by the concerned authorities.
Sources in E&IP department of KMC said that some 70 illegal Bachat Bazaars were being operated in various parts of city, which not only depriving the KMC of revenue but also leading to traffic congestion. On Monday, while presiding over a meeting with the organisers of Bachat Bazaars in the city, Sindh Minister for Bureau of Supplies and Prices Control Shoaib Ahmed Bukhari said that these bazaars fall under jurisdiction of his department and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation or any other department had no authority to interfere in its affairs.
He claimed the Department of Bureau of Supplies and Prices Control, had conceived the idea of such bazaars, which was well responded by the consumers, but unfortunately the department was wounded up in 2001. The minister said the Bachat Bazaars have helped a lot in stabilising the prices besides providing employment to a large number of people.
Sources said that E&IP department of KMC is all set to launch operation against these illegal Bachat Bazaars, operating illegally in city. It is pertinent to mention here that the public parks and playgrounds and streets are being routinely encroached under the pretext of Bachat Bazaar by a mafia of profiteers, patronised by some corrupt officers of Enterprises and Investment Promotions (EIP) department.
Sources said that due to non-existence of by-laws to run Bachat Bazaars, KMC has been deprived of earning millions of rupees through these temporary markets. "The tariff of these Bachat Bazars could not be revised since many years as by-laws are not exited under which rates could be reviewed," said a KMC official.
The staffers of the EIP 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 use at least 150 tents. Thus a small Bachat Bazaar generates just Rs 3, 000, he said. Some 90 legal and 70 unauthorised Bachat Bazaars are being operated in city, said Syed Waqar Shah, Senior Director E&IP KMC.
He said that notices have been issued to owners of unauthorised Bachat Bazaars, adding these Bachat Bazaars would be removed despite Bureau of Supplies and Prices Control department of Sindh government interference in the work of KMC. He said that a survey was being conducted in city to streamline the Bachat Bazaars. Shah informed that E&IP has recovered some 3 million outstanding dues from the operator of Bachat Bazaars while Rs 5 millions are yet to be recovered.
Comments
Comments are closed.