City Nazim Karachi Naimatullah Khan Advocate said that Rs 13 billion out of 29 billion President Musharraf's Karachi Package had been earmarked for the improvement of water supply and drainage system in Karachi and added that department of water and sanitation of City District Government Karachi(CDGK) would start operations soon.
He was addressing a large gathering at Gujjar Chowk Manzoor Colony here on Saturday evening. City Nazim said that improving water supply and sewerage system was the responsibility of Water & Sanitation Department.
Naimatullah categorically said that Rs 4 billion would be spent on improving water supply system while Rs 9 billion would be spent on improving sewerage system. New lines would be laid in all areas without any discrimination and old mutilated lines would be replaced.
He said that developments made in the 3-years period of CDGK had not been undertaken even in last 20 years and added that before the institution of CDGK, the KMC had its budget of no more than Rs 6 billion while CDGK in its first year presented the budget of Rs 20 billion, second year of 27 billion and third year's budget of Rs 31 billion whereas no new tax had been imposed.
CDGK had become an example for the entire country and President Musharraf had also appreciated the developments in Karachi, Naimatullah added.
He said that latest technology Aashto was being used for the durable construction of roads. All issues were being made transparent.
Shahrah-e-Faisal was constructed with a cost of Rs 190 million instead of Rs 280 million and thereby Rs 90 million were saved. The construction was also completed 3 months ahead of stipulated time.
Date trees were planted on Shahrah-e-Faisal and other arteries that had been now yielding fruit. Over 100 parks were established in the city and now model parks were being constructed.
He said that leasing of Kutchi Abadis was abandoned since 1985 but CDGK had been trying to lease Kutchi Abadis and undertake developments in those localities.
Later, at another public gathering in Akhtar Colony, the city Nazim said that residents of Kutchi Abadis would be given lease and camps in that regard would be set up in those localities soon and added that in order to keep the process transparent lease committees had been formed in all areas.
City Nazim Naimatullah Khan said that in the year 1999, the lease rate had been fixed at Rs 450 to Rs 2500 per square yard but CDGK would set Rs 1 for Masjid, Temple and Mandir while Rs 25 to Rs 200 would be fixed for residential plots.
No city government officer would be authorised to issue lease but City Nazim would personally undertake the practice. Nazim, Naib Nazim and councillors would attest the lease form that would be in Urdu language.
He said, despite several reminders to Chief Secretary and Chief Minister, the Department of Kutchi Abadis was not merged into CDGK. Referring to a survey conducted in 1985 he said that there were 538 Kutchi Abadis in Karachi.
City Nazim negated the impression that Karachi was the city of rich people and observed that over 50% of Karachi population was living in Kutchi Abadis; thus Kutchi Abadis required prime attention.
He said every inch of the Karachi land was his responsibility and no individual or institution would be allowed to encroach the same.
He said that the rate of population increase in Pakistan was 3% per year while it was 5% per year in Karachi besides inflow of scores of people from entire Pakistan to Karachi in search of livelihood. He called for the co-operation of industrialists and philanthropists in solving the problems of the cosmopolitan city.
City Nazim said the minorities had the equal importance and vowed to solve their problems too.
Nazim Jamshed town Ahmed Parekh, advisor of city Nazim Abid Ilyas, Gohar Islam, Saeed Ghani, Ghyas Ahmed Abbasi and others were present on the occasion.