The Employees Union (CBA) of the defunct Karachi Development Authority on Tuesday threatened to move to court if the old status of KDA was not restored. Despite restoration of Commissionerate System of 1979 in the province, the status of defunct KDA has not yet been decided due to which the employees of the authority are facing difficulties.
It is to be mentioned here that the KDA was operational dealing with land utilisation and revenue issues across the city before the introduction of local governments (LGs) system in the province under the Sindh Local Government Ordinance (SLGO) 2001. However, after the introduction of LGs' system, KDA became defunct and was incorporated into the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) as a wing of its land revenue department. The KDA Employees Union (CBA) has written a letter to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, demanding early restoration of the pre-SLGO status of the KDA.
The letter stated that uncertainty and confusion about the status of KDA and absence of administrative set-up was negatively impacting the working of the department. The union has requested the chief minister to appoint Director General, KDA, Member (Administration) KDA, Member (Finance) KDA and members of the governing body, as required under the KDA Employees Services Regulations 1973.
The copies of the letter have also been dispatched to provincial minister for Local Governments, Aga Siraj Durani, Chief Secretary Sindh, Raja Mohammad Abbas, Commissioner Karachi Roshan Ali Shaikh and Administrator KMC Mohammad Hussain Syed. Sources told Business Recorder that the KDA officers had adopted a tough stance for restoration of pre-SLGO 2001 status of the defunct KDA following the restoration of Commissionerate system of 1979. They said that KDA officials had rejected a suggestion to amalgamate KDA with Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC).
Sources told this scribe that a meeting regarding KDA would soon be held at Governor House. Sources said that the delay in restoration of KDA status might led to re-encroachment of the retrieved land by the department, as Land Acquisition Cell (ACL) of department has become dysfunctional.
General Secretary KDA Employee Union Ashfaque Chisti has demanded restoration of pre-SLGO 2001 status of the KDA. Chisti said that KMC administration had floated the idea to merge the defunct KDA with Malir Development Authority (MDA) or Lyari Development Authority (LDA). Rejecting the proposal, he said that this merger was not feasible, saying that small unit is merged with large unit, not the large is merge with small one. He warned that KDA employees would take to streets if any decision was taken about the fate of the defunct authority without taking the stakeholders into confidence.