The applicants have slammed the Malir Development Authority for keeping them unaware of details of balloting for 'Taiser Town Phase-II' scheme's residential plots. In spite of balloting, applicants cannot know if they are named among those fortunate people or not because of flawed procedure of the authority (MDA).
The MDA authorities had issued guidelines for applicants to log in, enter computerised national identity card (CNIC) number to see their names on MDA web portal. To the dismay of the applicants, the web portal failed to serve the purpose.
Hence, many had to react in unison to MDA with: 'great cry and little wool.' The MDA had received 176,000 applicants for 20,000 plots of its much-publicised 'Taiser Town Phase-II' housing project.
"My wife and I had waited for hours in long queues outside a bank branch to submit two applications for different category plots. We have been impatiently waiting for the balloting, but today, when I logged in, I found the concerned web portal irresponsive," said Muhammad Hadi, an applicant.
"The prospect of the project is bleak. How will MDA complete this project in a transparent manner when it can't conduct balloting on time, transparently," Zarina, another plot seeker reacted.
She was shocked to see the response after having entered her computerised national identity card (CNIC) number under the guidelines of the authority. Suddenly she saw the response at MDA web portal: "Your account has been suspended. Contact your hosting provider for more information."
Sindh Minister for Local Government Saeed Ghani conducted the balloting as chief guest at a ceremony held at a hotel, here. Additional Director General MDA Muhammad Sohail and Director Land Ayyub Fazli, ABAD chairman Hassan Buxi and others were present on the occasion.
The low-cost residential scheme got overwhelming public response as MDA officials said as many as 176,000 applications were received for some 20,000 residential plots.
The scheme has been planned over an area of 9,512 acres of land with different categories of residential plots, including 80, 120, 240 and 400 square yards.
Successful applicants in the balloting would have to pay development charges according to the payment schedule; Rs 1,000 per square yard for 80 sq yard plots and Rs 1,500 for 120 sq yards, Rs 1,800 for 240 sq yards and Rs 2,000 per square yard for 400 sq yards.
The MDA had updated the ballot results on its website, but it got suspended within an hour. The portal was irresponsive till filing of this report.