Mehmoodabad treatment plant land was allotted illegally: inquiry report

Land reserved for Mehmoodabad treatment plant was an amenity plot and its allotment to affected families of the Preedy Street Project was a violation of law since the now-defunct City District Government Karachi’s council had no authority to change its amenity status, the Supreme Court was told on Sunday.

The top court had earlier ordered an inquiry into the allotment of 49 acres of land meant for Mehmoodabad sewerage treatment plant in 2007 during the tenure of former mayor Mustafa Kamal to families affected by the Preedy Street Project and had questioned how the city council could pass a resolution to allocate an amenity plot for residential purposes.

In a report submitted to the court on Sunday, Local Bodies Secretary Mohammad Ramzan Awan, who was appointed as the inquiry officer, stated that the land in question belonged to the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB). He said that without getting the approval of the water board, the then mayor Mustafa Kamal, who was also the KWSB chairman at the time, gave his approval for allotting the land to Preedy Street affectees as per a CDGK resolution submitted by the KWSB managing director to KWSB chairman.

In the report, the secretary opined that the leasing of the encroached land by the Karachi Municipal Corporation to the illegal occupants is not justified because the KWSB intends to rehabilitate the treatment plant.

The inquiry officer further submitted that despite various letters and publications the then mayor of CDGK and chairman of KWSB – Kamal – did not take steps to save the land from encroachers and maintain the treatment plant’s facilities.

He added allotment of the KWSB amenity plot to Preedy Street affectees was a violation of the Sindh Disposal of Urban Land Ordinance and Sindh Building Control Authority regulations. Moreover, a former councillor of Lines Areas had informed the inquiry that all affectees of Preedy Street Project were supposed to be resettled and accommodated in Lines Area under the Lines Area Redevelopment Project, the inquiry officer stated.

He suggested that officers of the KWSB and CDGK were well aware of the illegal encroachments but they failed to take any action, therefore a probe should be conducted through a professional investigation agency to fix responsibility. He requested the chief secretary to refer the matter to the anti-corruption establishment or any other investigation agency.

It is pertinent to mention that Kamal, who served as mayor as a Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader from 2005 to 2010 and is now the chief of the rival Pak Sarzameen Party, had earlier appeared before the Supreme Court to explain his position in the case.

Kamal has said that he had not allotted the 49 acres of Mehmoodabad treatment plant land to 1,218 Preedy Street affected families, and that the decision had been taken through a resolution of the then city council. He submitted that the decision was taken after consultations with KWSB which informed the city government that the land in question will not be used for the plant.