The AlIottees Action Committee Marble City Risalpur (AACMCR) has approached the Ministry of Industries and Production and asked for the agreed facilities including the grid station energisation and the completion of development work.
The billions of rupees of investment with a major chunk of it coming from the overseas is at risk as even after the passage nine years, as the Marble City is yet to get a grid station in addition to the incomplete development work, letters written to the Ministry by the AACMCR maintain.
The AACMCR has also appealed to Prime Minister Imran Khan to intervene and save these billions of rupees of investment, which could play a vital role in job creation.
In case of non-fulfillment, the AACMCR has warned of staging protest at the inauguration of Rashakai Economic Zone under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), said Asghar Khan, chairman AACMCR, adding that they had the right to approach the court as well.
The AACMCR has written letters to Adviser to Prime Minister Razak Dawood and federal secretary, Ministry of Industries and Production, and maintained that Marble City Risalpur (MCR), a project of Pakistan Stone Development company, which is a subsidiary of Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC), Ministry of Industries and Production planned a Marble City at Risalpur in 2009.
The SDA (KPEZDMC) transferred its planned extension land, measuring 185 acres adjacent to the SDA's existing "Special Economic Zone" Nowshera phase 1 to develop MCR on the request of the PASDEC.
The project was envisaged to comprised 220 marble factories, which would create 10,000 jobs, creation of allied industries/complimentary businesses, economic uplift of the area, local and foreign investment, and source of tax revenue and foreign exchange through exports and skills development in the region.
The private sector including overseas Pakistanis in the shape of foreign direct investment have already invested around Rs4 billion in the project till date and over Rs6 billion more are expected.
Further 45 factories are completed and over 30 factories are under construction.
Project completion target was two years and installment tenure spreading over five years.
The PASDEC invited applications in November 2009 and distributed 199 plots through balloting as the applications received were more than the available plots.
One acre plot was sold at Rs4.5 million, which was four times higher than the adjacent SDA economic zone at that time.
However, the services and 5 years installment plan attracted the stakeholders and allottees started depositing installments from January 2010.
According to PASDEC terms and conditions, allottees had to pay the total amount for the plot within five years and the PASDEC had to hand over the developed plot with all services promised in the MCR brochure within 1.5 years from the date of the first installment.
It has been maintained that the PASDEC received full installments with surcharge within five years from allottees to finish their tasks according to the project brochure but unfortunately failed till date to energize the MCR own grid station and complete the remaining developmental work even after almost nine years.
The sad and disappointing part is when a1lottees started to ask the PASDEC to get their job done according to project timeline, the PASDEC management instead of showing performance, recourse to bullying tactics like linking plot transfer and possession for the new construction with the services fees, which they have yet to provide to even the running factories.
Such actions amount to harassment in order to cover incompetence and past negligence, which resulted in halting investment and construction of new factories.
Plot possession started after receiving the full payment in 2016.
Two MW of electricity was provided from the adjacent KPEZDMC feeder, while MCR's own grid station energisation is still pending due to PASDEC's negligence and incompetence.
As of date, 45 factories are completed, over 30 factories are under construction and the rest of the allottees are waiting for the MCR's grid station to get energized.
Currently, KPEZDMC's economic zone, EPZ, MCR and some villages are running on a single feeder.
The feeder is over loaded now constant fluctuation, tripping and load shedding and industries valuable electric equipment losses are a routine occurrence.
The AACMCR has requested for energisation of the MCR grid station and completion of development work according to the project brochure.
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