Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan has taken serious notice of inordinate delay in the Hawkes Bay Scheme 42, and asked the concerned officials to improve their performance and take steps for early allotment of plots to the allottees of this old scheme still pending due to huge mismanagement and corruption. He issued this directive at a meeting to review the affairs of Lyari Development Authority (LDA) and Malir Development Authority (MDA) at the Governor House on Tuesday.
He said that Hawkes Bay scheme 42 of the LDA was delayed for a long time. He urged that efforts should be made to complete the scheme as soon as possible. He said that supply of 5 MGD water to Hawkes Bay would be ensured so as to enhance development activities in its various sectors. It may be noted that the Karachi'ites had been demanding that the mega corruption in the Hawkes Bay Scheme 42 of Lyari Development Authority (LDA) needed urgent attention of the watchdog bodies including Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and National Accountability Bureau (NAB). He emphasised that it was necessary to check the corrupt elements sitting over billions of rupees of the allottees of this scheme, who could not attain possession of their own plots, despite the passage of a long time.
Hawkes Bay Scheme 42 comprises of 20700 acres of controlled area, and 11450 acres of the development area, whose physical possession was handed over by Board of Revenue (BOR) to the KDA back in December 1985. 11,450 acres of the Development Area (Deh Lal Bakhar & Deh Moach) included 3,985 acres allocations for KMC, KPT, Central BOR, Villages, etc. The scheme was transferred from the KDA (defunct) to the LDA on 10-01-1996, by virtue of LDA Act-1993
So far both LDA & KDA (defunct) had planned approximately 54,000 residential plots of various sizes from 80 to 400 sq. yards and allotted to the general public by open ballot from 1990 to 2008. After all these efforts, the scheme remained dormant for more than 15 years for want of resources. However, in 2008, the scheme was re-activated and the LDA generated funds to restart the physical development after balloting of 9000 residential plots (240 & 400 Sq-yards).
The website of the LDA says that KDA planned the scheme comprising of 71-Blocks with residential plots of 80, 120, 240, 400 & 600 Sq-Yards beside commercial & amenity plots within the development area. It says 54,380 planned residential plots of various categories have been balloted to date except 600 Sq-Yard residential (to be auctioned), Commercial plots (to be auctioned), and Amenity plots (to be disposed of as per policy), adding the scheme remained dormant over past several years for want of resources. It says the LDA generated funds to restart the physical development with the last balloting of 9000 residential plots in 2008 (240 & 400 Sq-yards). For Planning, Design & Supervision (development works) of Scheme 42, LDA hired the services of "Osmani & Company (Pvt) Ltd" as Technical Consultants in May 2008.
Many citizens think the Hawkes Bay Scheme 42 is a big scam such as the scam of Fishermen Co-operative Society. However, the allottees demand that the LDA should immediately start development activities in the Hawkes Bay Scheme 42 and announce a date of handing over the possession of plots to their genuine allottees.