KARACHI: The Karachi Development Authority is running its official affairs without a governing body, officials of KDA informed.
After the KDA implementation Act on May 11, 2016 and the entity’s revival on July 23, 2106, only a single informal meeting of the governing body was held on September 29, 2016 without the constitution of the required number of members in the body.
Government of Sindh had constituted governing body vide Local Government and Housing, Town Planning Department notification SO (G)/HTP/3-442/2016, on September 29, 2016.
The present governing body of KDA announced by G M Umar Farooqui, Secretary Provincial Assembly of Sindh consists of Jam Khan Shoro, Local Government Sindh as Chairman, Jawaid Ahmed Nagori and Muhammad
Sajid Jakhio elected members, Ramzan Awan, Secretary LGD Sindh, Ejaz Ahmed Khan. Commissioner Karachi, Nasir Abbas, Director General KDA as member cum secretary and Asadullah Shah, member technical, while names of member finance and member administration have not been announced.
The responsibility of the governing body is to monitor the functions of the KDA in all spheres of its obligation, financial and administrative matters of the civic body and to implement the decisions of the governing body. Moreover, all the policy matters and important cases are dealt with and decided by the governing body.
The appointment, posting and transfer of the KDA officials also lies within the jurisdiction of the governing body.
The KDA was merged with the City District Government Karachi in 2002. Subsequently the government of Sindh restored KDA to its original position vide Provincial Assembly of Sindh notification PAS/Legis-B-06/2016, May 11, 2016 under KDA (Revival & Amending) Act, 2016-Sindh Act XVI of 2016.
Under Section 4 of Revival Act, all orders made, proceeding taken, appointments made, acts done by the authority or by any person, which were made, taken or done or purported to have been made, taken or done between the first day of July, 2002 and the date on which this Act came into force (both days inclusive), shall, not withstanding any judgment of any court, be deemed to be and always to have been validity made, taken of done under KDA order 1957 has been given cover and such decision or steps shall not be called in question in any court of law or forum on any ground whatsoever.
KDA has not been able to make planning because the master plan is not in its control; this responsibility has been entrusted into the hands of KBCA.
Until 2002, A 16-member governing body under Chief Secretary Sindh has been discharging his responsibility, with secretaries, LG, Public Health Engineering, Housing and Town Planning, Mayor Karachi, besides a journalist a lawyer and a expert of housing planning as its members.
The KDA has many achievements since 1957 which have been appreciated nationally and internationally. In fact it is the mother of all development authorities of Pakistan. KDA has developed about 810,000 plots in 45 schemes out of which 4 schemes-Shah Latif Town, Hawksbay, Taiser Town and Halkani Town have been transferred to Malir and Lyari Development Authorities in 1993.