Sindh Minister for Local Government, Housing Town Planning, and Public Health Engineering, Saeed Ghani, has announced the formation of a special committee to address the concerns of the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI). This decision was revealed during a meeting with industrialists at KATI on Saturday. Ghani emphasized the need for a fair electricity distribution system that protects those who consistently pay their bills from load shedding.
“It is unfair for those who diligently pay their electricity bills to suffer from load shedding due to the misdeeds of a few. K-Electric must implement a system that ensures consistent power supply to responsible consumers while taking stringent action against defaulters and thieves,” he asserted. Acknowledging the broader electricity crisis in Karachi, Ghani noted that the policies of K-Electric are often perplexing and that local authorities have limited control over the situation. He highlighted the ongoing development projects in Karachi, calling them unprecedented and crucial for the city’s economic growth. He emphasized that industrial development is key to improving labor conditions and achieving overall economic progress.
The meeting saw participation from prominent figures, including KATI President Johar Qandhari, Deputy Patron in Chief Zubair Chhaya, Senior Vice President Nighat Awan, Vice President Muslim Mohammadi, and others. Local government officials, including DG SBCA Abdul Rashid Solangi, DG KDA Shujaat Hussain, MD Solid Waste Imtiaz Shah, and MC KMC Afzal Zaidi, were also present.
The newly formed committee aims to streamline solutions to KATI’s issues, particularly regarding town limits, revenue collection, and trade licenses. Ghani addressed the boundary disputes affecting KATI industrialists, mentioning that these issues are under the jurisdiction of a local government commission that will make decisions impartially. He stressed the need for a unified system to handle these disputes, ensuring that industrial activities are not disrupted. President Johar Qandhari raised concerns about the overlapping claims from Korangi, Landhi, and Shah Faisal Colony on revenue collection and trade licenses. “We receive notices from multiple towns, and now the KMC has also become a claimant.
This confusion must be resolved. We can only pay taxes to one authority, not three or four,” he said, emphasizing the need for a streamlined tax collection process. Qandhari also highlighted the severe water and sewage issues plaguing the industrial area, noting the local bodies’ inadequate response. He called for the formation of a dedicated committee or board, including all stakeholders, to effectively tackle these challenges.
