City District Government Karachi (CDGK) plans to increase fees for the change of land status on 21 identified commercialised thoroughfares of the metropolis and in this regard further amendments in its bylaws will be made.
This was said by City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal on Monday while chairing a high level meeting of CDGK officials. He said the City Council had adopted a resolution to commercialise 21 thoroughfares around three years ago which also approved that the owners of land on these 21 commercialised roads could change the status of their residential plots into commercial ones after depositing a certain amount of fees to CDGK which varies from Rs 1000 to Rs 8000 per square yard. He also said CDGK was using revenue generated through such ways on various ongoing uplift projects in the metropolis.
City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal said that the prices of land in different parts of the city had been increased drastically especially on these 21 roads.
He said CDGK had evolved an exhaustive plan to increase the fees structure to meet its development expenditures as it was not only spending million of rupees for the development of these roads but also working for the improvement of infrastructure on these traffic arteries.
City Nazim directed the concerned authorities to finalise the plan without further delay however he asked them to give a last chance to those who had already submitted their cases for changing the status of their residential plots into commercial one, which would be commercialised on previous rate.
He also apprised that CDGK was reconstructing all commercial roads following international standards while utility services including water, sewerage and storm water drains were being constructed on roadsides to avoid frequent digging on them.
"The CDGK is spending a huge amount on these roads which is higher than the past while it is the responsibility of every citizen to pay their due share to develop the city on modern lines. The present leadership in the city spending each and every penny on the welfare of its citizen so that citizens should cooperate with them generously", he added.
The roads which were commercialised some three years ago includes Shahrah-e-Faisal (Metropole Hotel to Malir Bridge), Tariq Road (Allahwala Chowrangi to Bahadurabad commercial area and Sindh Muslim Society to Shahrah-e-Faisal, Captain Farid Bukhari Road), Rashid Minhas Road (Scheme 16, 24 & 36 from Drive In Cinema to Shafiq Morr), University Road (Scheme 24 and 36 from Civic Center to Safoorah Chowrangi), Shahrah-e-Pakistan (Scheme 16 from Teen Hati Bridge to Sohrab Goth), Nazimabad A Road (Lasbella Bridge to circular railway line on left side), Sher Shah Suri Road in North Nazimabad (Board Office Chowrangi to Sakhi Hassan Chowrangi on both sides, Block B-N and Block A-J), Shahrah-e-Jahangir in North Nazimabad (Block H to L), Khayaban-e-Iqbal (Clifton Road Bridge to Do Talwar, Two Swords), Khayaban-e-Jami (Plot ST-10 to ST-13), Khalid bin Waleed Road (Plot K-107 to 168 G. Church), Jamaluddin Afghani Road (PTV Station to Plot No 1 adjacent to Shaheed-e-Millat), Allama Iqbal Road (Kashmir Road to Jheel Park on both sides), Sir Syed Ahmed Road (Tariq Road to Khalid bin Waleed Road on both sides), Shaheed-e-Millat Road (Haider Ali Chowrangi to Jail Chowrangi on both sides), Chaudhry Khaleeq-uz-Zaman Road (Block 8,9 Askari Market to Chaudhry Khaleeq-uz-Zaman Colony), Beach Avenue Road (Darakhshan Police Station to Casino Chowrangi), Khayaban-e-Saadi, Khyaban-e-Rumi, Nishtar Road and Alamgir Road.
However, the city government has asked owners of land on these 21 commercialised roads and given a last chance to change their residential status into commercial on previous rates. After the approval of new rates, they would be charged increased/amended rates in this regard.