LDA told to provide plots to media persons elsewhere if dispute with navy lingers on

Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani on Thursday asked the Lyari Development Authority (LDA) to provide plots to affected journalists on an alternative piece of land in case the land dispute on a 33-acre area of the Hawke’s Bay Scheme 42 remains unresolved.

A large number of media persons have been deprived of the facility of residential plots in the scheme as the plots allotted to them lie on a disputed patch of the scheme. However, several other journalists have secured the facility as the portion on which their plots are situated is free of any land-related controversy.

Ghani discussed the matter while chairing a meeting at the LDA head office. LDA Director General Abdul Aziz Memon and other senior officers of the authority attended the meeting.

The LDA officials briefed the local government minister on the Hawke’s Bay scheme and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Town scheme that were being developed under the aegis of the authority.

Ghani was informed that 437 journalists of Karachi had been allotted residential plots in Hawkes’ Bay Scheme 42 on a payment of mere 20 per cent cost of the plot. He was also informed that a certain number of media persons could not be given the same facility owing to a land dispute lingering on between the LDA and Pakistan Navy on the 33 acres of land on the scheme.

The local government minister directed the LDA officials to ensure that plots are allotted to the affected journalists as soon as possible. In case there is further delay in resolution of the land dispute, the affected journalists should be given plots on an alternative piece of land, he said.

Ghani was also informed that under the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Town scheme, 50,000 plots would be given to deserving people in two phases through balloting.

The first phase of the scheme comprises 30,000 plots, of which balloting has been completed for 27,800 plots, while it will be held soon for the remaining 3,200 plots, Ghani was informed. For the second phase, feasibility had been prepared for the balloting for 20,000 plots.

The minister advised the people, who had been allotted plots in the Benazir Bhutto Town Scheme, to get possession of their plots at the earliest so that development work could be initiated.

He directed the LDA chief to dispatch letters to the beneficiaries of the scheme to exhort them to get possession of their plots. Ghani was also informed about status of the Benazir Bhutto Town Scheme in other districts of the province.

The local government minister directed the LDA to commence work at the earliest on amenity spaces of such schemes to build schools, playgrounds, mosques, hospitals, and parks. He also directed the officials concerned to provide details of commercial land in such schemes so that such plots could be auctioned to commence commercial activities.

Ghani also told the LDA to develop road facilities and other civic infrastructure in all of its schemes. He said he would soon personally visit all such schemes of the authority to review their actual status on ground.

It was also decided in the meeting that a session of the governing body of the LDA would be convened so that more schemes could be approved under the domain of the authority in order to provide the underprivileged people of Karachi opportunities to get residential plots on cheap rates and easy installment plan.