If any private company owned assets that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has, it would have enough finances to run its own ships.Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab made these remarks on Wednesday as he held a meeting to review the financial condition of the KMC. Expressing concern over debts of the municipality, the mayor said he could not allow private persons to run their businesses on the KMC’s land while it remained in debt.
He issued directions for generating revenue from the KMC’s assets and told the recovery departments to ensure their implementation within 30 days. “After one month, I will not listen to any excuse. If results are not found, action will be initiated,” he warned. Wahab directed the land department to conduct an immediate survey of the KMC’s land on Sharea Faisal, II Chundrigar Road, University Road and Sindhi Muslim Society. The KMC, he said, should get money from its assets in the city. He added that the project director (PD) Orangi should get possession of 2,600 square yards of the KMC’s land within 30 days.
“It should be ensured that the dues are collected from the cottage industry on the KMC lands, there is negligence somewhere, if everyone was working, KMC would not be in this situation today,” he said. The mayor also directed the estate department to ensure recovery of Rs100 million from the KMC’s markets within 30 days. He said parking under bridges could only be managed by the KMC, not any other civic organisation.
Possession of all such parking sites should be obtained within 30 days, he directed. Wahab also objected to the Sindh Building Control Authority generating revenue from the BTS mobile towers. He said those towers were a revenue generation avenue for the KMC. He said no vehicle should be parked on PIDC road and told the authorities to ensure that such vehicles were parked at Baradari or at other charged parking sites of the KMC.
“We have to see whether we are getting adequate revenue from the sports stadium given to other institutions,” he said, adding that the local government secretary would be taken into confidence regarding fee collection from the BTS towers.
The mayor’s spokesperson for political affairs KaramullahWaqasi, KMC Metropolitan Commissioner Syed AfzalZaidi, Finance Adviser GhulamMurtaza Bhutto and other officers were present in the meeting.
