Karachi

With the resolution of long-standing land controversy between Malir Development Authority (MDA) and the defunct City District Government Karachi over the construction of Intercity Bus Terminal off Super Highway, the citizens may take a sigh of relief from agonizing traffic congestion and nuisance created by the mushroom growth of unauthorized bus terminals in residential areas right in the middle of the metropolis, it emerged on Tuesday.

The Sindh government has decided to allot 100 acres of land to the MDA which, in return, would vacate equal number of acres to start the construction of Intercity Bus Terminal near Taiser Town in line with the directions of superior judiciary.

The decision to this effect was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Sindh Raja Muhammad Abbas at his office on Tuesday. Member (Land) Board of Revenue (BoR) informed the meeting that they had already allocated 9,000 acres land to the MDA and 100 more acres would be provided to resolve this land dispute between the MDA and the defunct CDGK.

Secretary Local Government Ali Ahmed told The News that the PC-1 for the terminal has been prepared and work would be started as soon as funds were made available. He said that although the project was conceived quite long ago but efforts to construct it have been accelerated following the intervention of the superior judiciary.

Advocate General Sindh Abdul Fattah Malik said that the Chief Justice of Sindh High Court has recently directed him to convene the meetings of all stakeholders and resolve the land issue so that work on the project could be expedited.

Official sources told The News that the AG Sindh has convened several meetings of the officials concerned to resolve this longstanding controversy. They said that the BoR had earlier handed over 100 acres to the defunct CDGK, which was claimed by the MDA and it (MDA) sought equivalent land in exchange for vacating the same. In order to resolve this issue, the officials concerned have been directed to prepare a sketch or plan for 100 acres equivalent land.

The defunct CDGK had prepared PC-1 and now summary would be moved to the chief minister Sindh for sorting out financial matters. It is pertinent to mention here that the residents of Lines Area had challenged unauthorized inter-city bus terminals in the SHC in the year 2004.

In another connected petition, the then EDO Revenue and now Commissioner Karachi Roshan Ali Shaikh had informed the court on October 12, 2010, that 100 acres land had been encroached upon by the MDA and no action was taken for the removal of the encroachment.

The chief justice SHC had observed in his order: “it seems that the Sindh government is totally oblivious to the plight and difficulty being faced by the common commuters in the ever-growing metropolitan city”.

Stressing the need to resolve the terminal issue in a “holistic manner”, the court directed the Advocate General Sindh to convene meeting of the civil officials and representatives of cantonment boards to form a uniform policy in respect of overlapping of the authorities.

Meanwhile, the Chief Secretary has asked the Administrator KMC to expedite the process for constructing Inter City Bus Terminal in the city. He sought comprehensive scheme / work plan from the KMC on emergent basis so that all stake-holders could be involved in this project.

According to a handout, he also advised the Local Government Department to coordinate with the Board of Revenue and the administrations of District West and KMC for removing all the bottle-necks.

KMC Transport Department chief Mirza Atiq Baig apprised the meeting that PC-I of the project has been submitted to the Local Government Department. Secretary Transport Mukhtiar Hussain Soomro assured that PC-I would be finalized after the completion of codal formalities within two days.

Secretary / Member (Land Utilization), BOR, Ghulam Mustafa Phul stated that following the receipt of the report from Deputy Commissioner West, a summary would be moved to the chief minister in this regard.

Special Secretary Local Government M. Usman Panhwar, Additional Advocate General Sher Muhammad Shaikh and Deputy Commissioner (West) Ghanwer Leghari also attended the meeting.