The encroachment mafia has started china cutting on Karachi Development Authority’s (KDA’s) land in the Babar market in Landhi Town with alleged political support.
Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Katchi Abadi Department has sold around 40 percent of KDA’s land Babar Market.
The china-cutting on the related land has been done and plots varying different sizes from 60 square yards (sq-yds) to 250 sq-yds have been sliced.
The members of the land mafia with the collusion of the politicians occupied KDA-owned land and leased and sold it.
A decade earlier, the members of the land mafia had disappeared after selling around a dozen plots on hefty amounts. Now, they have reappeared in the Babar Market in Landhi Town and restarted china cutting on KDA’s land.
Only six months ago, two plots between the mandatory vacant area for the cottage industry as per KDA’s master plan were leased illegally. Meanwhile, the land was declared a residential property but according to KDA’s master plan, the plots are commercial property.
Babar Market Welfare Organisation expressed serious concerns about the unauthorized allotment of plots in the market premises.
They told that the staff of District Municipal Corporation (DMC) Korangi was threatening them and compelling them to purchase illegal plots of KMC.
After it was brought in the notice, KDA also issued a notification on complaints of traders but it made no difference. It reads that the land in Babar Market was owned by the authority and allotment was illegal.
The traders accused the anti-encroachment department of KMC Korangi was involved in the illegal activity.
The traders alleged that the encroachers were involved in robberies and criminal activities including drug dealing.
In this regard, the traders lodged several complaints with the police and paramilitary Rangers too.
The traders have sent multiple letters to Karachi Commissioner and Korangi Deputy Commissioner (DC) but received no response yet.
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They have demanded Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah to restore the original lease of KDA’s land in the Babar market in Landhi Town as per the master plan 2004.
They opined that through this way, not only KDA’s revenue would increase but the encroachers would be defeated.