KARACHI: The Commissioner of Karachi, Syed Hassan Naqvi, has assured the industrialists solving the issues they face in ensuring uninterrupted transportation of export and import goods in the SITE industrial area. He also issued orders to launch an anti-encroachment campaign soon, specifically from the Siraj Qasim Teli Flyover to the Nazimabad Underpass, for a permanent solution to the traffic congestion in the entire SITE area. Furthermore, he instructed that if an NOC (No Objection Certificate) is available from SITE Limited, the repair of water lines should not be halted. He also directed the Deputy Commissioners of Central and Keamari districts not to return confiscated carts before 30 days and instructed the police authorities to avoid blocking roads for cricket match security.
These remarks were made during his visit to the SITE Association of Industry in Karachi. Accompanying him were DC Keamri Raja Tariq Hussain Chandio, DC Central Taha Saleem and AC SITE Nida Saman, MD SITE Limited Syed Arif Ahmed Zaidi, and senior officials. The meeting was attended by SITE Association’s Senior Patron Zubair Motiwala, President Ahmed Azeem Alvi, KCCI President Jawed Bilwani, Chief Coordinator Saleem Parekh, Former Presidents Majyd Aziz, Tariq Yousuf, Yunus Bashir, SVP Khalid Riaz, VP Muhammad Riaz Dhedhi, Junaid Makda, Abdul Hadi, Riazuddin, Touseef Ahmed, Azeem Motiwala, Abdul Rehman Fudda, Muhammad Kamran Lakhany, Aman Naseem, Muhammad Tahir Goreja, Muhammad Hanif Tawakkal, Saleem Nagaria, Abdul Kadir Bilwani, Haris Shakoor, Shaikh Zafar Ahmed, Shehzad Arbi, and others.
Earlier, SITE President Ahmed Azeem Alvi highlighted issues that can be tackled by the Commissioner Karachi office, which in particular included traffic Jam from Siraj Kassam Teli Flyover to Nazimabad underpass due to parking of fruit vendors’ push carts & vehicles, collection of trade license and property tax by the Town Municipal Corporation (Moriro Mirbahar), jurisdiction related matters and water shortage problem. He added that Trade License & Property Tax should be collected by SITE Limited.
Ahmed Azeem Alvi, President of the SITE Association of Industry, along with Chief Coordinator Saleem Parekh and KCCI President Jawed Bilwani, presents a crest to Commissioner Karachi Syed Hassan Naqvi during his visit to the SITE Association. MD SITE Ltd. Syed Arif Zaidi, DC Keamari Raja Tariq Hussain Chandio, DC Central Taha Saleem, former Presidents Majyd Aziz, Junaid Makda, Abdul Hadi, and Riazuddin, SVP Khalid Riaz, VP Muhammad Riaz Dhedhi, and former SVP Muhammad Hanif Tawakkal were also prominent.
“We simply want water. 99.8 to 100pc recoveries of utilities are done from industries. We are totally against water theft and want only water which unfortunately, the KWSC has failed to supply. Due to Rangers Operation, the sub-soil operators have gone on strike since two days. We are making efforts to resolve this matter at our level,” he said.
Patron-in-Chief Zubair Motiwala said that SITE Limited is responsible for infrastructure uplift of the area from its own resources. Since the purpose of collection of Property Tax is to provide civic amenities, it should be collected by SITE Limited. In response, the Commissioner assured to examine the matter in coordination with SITE Limited and Local Govt. Department officials and revert with working paper on priority.
Chief Coordinator Saleem Parekh, briefed the Commissioner that Rangers operation against water theft is going on since more than a year & half and the most recent one was done day before yesterday. Resultantly, the industries are without water since two days.
Jawed Bilwani, President KCCI mentioned that an agreement has been signed by all concerned including the then Commissioner Karachi for the supply of 8 MGD water (in summer) and 9 MGD water (in winter) to SITE area and requested the Commissioner Karachi to implement the said agreement in letter & spirit.
He drew attention of the Commissioner towards Trucks & Buses parked at various locations in SITE and remarked that parking space is available at many places such as Valika Hospital, Philips, Ahmed Foods and Labour Square where Trucks can be parked without creating hurdle in the flow of normal traffic. The Commissioner directed the two DCs to convene meeting of Traffic Management Board and make sure the meeting ends with an effective outcome. He added that PC-I for funding for road works from the Infrastructure Development Cess. amounting to PKR 2 billion is already pending with the Government of Sindh and requested the Commissioner to use his good offices to release the funds as requested. The Commissioner assured members of his cooperation in this matter.
Former President Majyd Aziz drew attention of the Commissioner towards roads blocked for the security of cricket teams and requested to make security arrangements without blocking roads. Former President Tariq Yousuf requested the Commissioner to exercise his powers for the resolution of issues being discussed in the meeting. Former President Younus Bashir said that Reiki is done at ‘Jhopra hotels’ where criminal minded people sit and misguide the labours and ask them to do unlawful acts.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Commissioner, DC Keamari, DC Central, AC SITE, Zubair Motiwala, Saleem Parekh, Jawed Bilwani, Ahmed Azeem Alvi, Khalid Riaz and Muhammad Riaz Dhedhi planted Coconut seedling in the premises of the Association under the Clean & Green SITE initiative of SITE Association of Industry.
