Governor Sindh, Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan has advised the city government to provide alternative land for establishing steel zone. Speaking at annual dinner of Karachi Iron and Steel Merchants Association (Kisma) on Wednesday, he pointed out that city government had provided finance for purchase of land for establishing steel zone but the allotment was cancelled by provincial government.
The governor said that he has discussed the issue with chief minister of Sindh and now CM has agreed to provide land for establishing steel zone. He assured business community that the government is well aware of the problems and making efforts to resolve them on priority basis.
City Nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal said that the city government had allocated 1400 acres of land for establishing Garment City, out of which 250 acres of land was encroached. He said that city government was making efforts to recover this land and added that police is reluctant to help city government.
Recalling allocation of land for Steel Zone, Marble City, the City Nazim said that he had asked the provincial government to provide land on payment at market rates at 17 different places. The then chief minister Sindh Arbab Ghulam Rahim had agreed to provide land and city government under an agreement presented a cheque of Rs 15 billion.
The city government had planned to establish Marble City, truck stand and steel zone on this land. However, after change in government the provincial government has cancelled the allotment of land, he added. Former president KCCI, Siraj Kassim Teli emphasised the need that Sindh must get its due share in NFC award on the bases of revenue generation.
Former senior vice president of KCCI and steel dealer, Khalid Tawab said that frequent increase in power and gas tariff and non-reduction of interest rate is playing havoc with the manufacturing sector. He urged the government to take these issues seriously and make efforts to reduce cost of manufacturing to save industry from closure and mass unemployment.