KARACHi = The Sindh Law and Environment Adviser, Barrister Murtaza Wahab, has said that the Sindh government will represent the business & industrialist community. With this in mind, more funds will be provided to Karachi’s industrial zones.
He said this while talking to the media after reviewing the ongoing development works in the North Karachi Industrial Area. He also inaugurated a street lights project and attended a meeting of North Karachi Industrial Development & Management Company (NKIDMC). CEO NKIDMC Sadiq Mohammad, Chairman Board Faraz Mirza, Project Director Syed Usman Ali and others were also present on the occasion.
Murtaza Wahab said that the PPP government wants to promote industries. In this regard, a grant was provided to North Karachi Industrial Zone and North Karachi Industrial Development and NKIDMC used this grant with utmost sincerity.
Treatment plants will be set up in the North Karachi Industrial Area under public-private partnership for which the Sindh government would extend full cooperation”, he said. While approving the cleaning work on an emergency basis, he stated that the cleaning work in this area will be started from next week.
Sadiq Mohammad, CEO NKIDMC, said that the development work in North Karachi Industrial Area has been carried out well under the grant received from the Government of Sindh. Standard construction of internal roads of North Karachi Industrial Area was carried out using development funds in a transparent manner.
He requested that funds are allocated for the development and rehabilitation of the infrastructure of the industrial area but no funds are allocated for the maintenance of the infrastructure due to which the matter is deteriorating with the passage of time. If annual maintenance grants continue to be provided, we will not need any more grants to rehabilitate infrastructure in industrial areas.
“Therefore, legislation should be enacted to give property tax proceeds from industrial areas to town associations so that this money can be used for the maintenance of infrastructure in industrial areas”, Sadiq added.
Faraz Mirza, Chairman Board, said that a vigilance team has been formed to look after the infrastructure of North Karachi Industrial Area. We request the Government of Sindh to notify this vigilance team under any policy so that the team without any obstacle could continue its work.
Syed Usman Ali, Project Director NKIDMC, said that there is an environment treatment plant in North Karachi Industrial Area but it needs to be made usable.
