Daily Times

KARACHI: On the lethargic implementation of the Estate Department by-laws of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) for four decades, Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar has constituted a five-member committee for restructuring rent of 59 KMC-built markets, 10,500 shops and offices besides other matters.

The committee consists of Estate Committee City Council Chairman Nasir as head, Finance Committee City Council Chairman Nadeem Hashmi, Adviser to Mayor Farhat Khan, KMC Estate Director Qayyum Khan and KMC Senior Director Nazeer Lakhani as committee members.

After a survey of these commercial sites, the committee will suggest a new rent manual keeping in the current economic standards of the commercial sites.

Commenting on the poor performance of the Estate Department, Waseem has said that due to non-serious attitude of the department’s officials, the civic entity has been deprived of millions of rupees revenue during the past 40 years.

The committee has been tasked to reschedule rent structure in accordance with the current market value, lack of facilities and introduction of rent increase on yearly basis under prescribed by-laws of the Estate Department, besides revision in by-laws.

During a meeting of department officials concerned with the mayor, it has been suggested that minimum rent of a shop should be Rs 500 per month, which can be increased according to the size and vicinity of shops and offices.

Currently, the shops and kiosks are paying the rent raging between Rs 10 and Rs 70 per month, the meeting was told.

Similarly offices were paying Rs 250 to Rs 1,500 per month to the Estate Department depending upon the area of occupancy.

On rent head, the Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) has estimated a revenue target of Rs 152.50 million in the current fiscal year.

Under the by-laws known as the Karachi City Markets Control and Maintenance, 2009, restrictions have been imposed on smoking, spitting, throwing peel and pieces of fruits or vegetables, sleeping in premises, bringing pet animals, keeping explosive substance, fireworks, kerosene oil, and petroleum except under special conditions. But under the nose of the Estate Department, each and every restriction was being violated.

Moreover, in several commercial sites, there is no proper arrangement of light, ventilators and lifting of filth, besides lack of toilet facilities.

The markets that the KMC Estate Department owns includes Baldia Town Market, HB Keamari, Khadda, Machi Miani, Pitcher Road, Boulton, Khori Garden, Madina Cloth, Old Dispensary, Lea Market, Phool Chowk, Spencer Eye Hospital, Hassan Ali Effendi, W O Market, Sabil Wali Masjid, Mirza Adam Khan, Moulvi Musafir Khana, Sarfaraz Rafique Hospital, Ranchore Line Poona Bai Tower, KMC Stadium, Vegetable Market Ranchore Line, Hasan Ali Hoti, JP Market, Saeed Manzil, Taj Mehal, Aurangzeb, Nanakwara, Ali Dina Water Course Road, Zoological Garden, T Plot, Soldier Bazaar, Meraj, Aram Bagh, Frere Road, Urdu Bazaar, Kazim Raza Cloth, Bahadur Shah, Akber Road, Preedy Street shops, Umar Farooqi, Khawaja Shahbuddin, Subway Sadar, Flower and Book stalls, Jinnah, Civil Line, Cane Furniture, SMCH Society, Korangi Stadium Shops, Bus Stop Central, Clayton Road, Moti Lal Nehru, Fatima Jinnah Shikarpur, PIB Colony, Super Market Liaquatabad, Subway Liaquatabad, Bus Stop Liaquatabad, Subway Nazimabad, Nazimabad 1,2,3,4,5 and Chandni Chowk, Gole Market, Chakiwara Lyari, newly constructed Machi Miyani Kharadar, Lilly Bridge and Banks Stadium Road.

Published in Daily Times, October 10^th 2017.