Ban imposed on issuance of lease, allotment of plots

KMC land director says decision taken to minimise china cutting.

KARACHI: Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) administrator Laeeq Ahmed has imposed on Thursday a ban on issuance of leases and allotment of all kinds of plots in the city, whereas mutation, transfer and relocation of plots have also been banned.

According to the press release, prior approval from KMC administrator has been made mandatory for the issuance of leases and allotment, mutation, transfer and relocation of plots. “This order shall be applied on Lines Area Project, Orangi Pilot Project and Surjani Project, besides [areas falling under] KMC and Karachi Development Authority,” reads the press release.

Meanwhile, KMC land director Tariq Siddiqi told The Express Tribune that the ban has been imposed to minimise ‘china cutting’ and issuance of leases for amenity plots. He said that only after proper scrutiny, the leases and allotment of plots would be done. Siddiqi added that the procedure will take a day more than the usual procedure, which usually takes at least six days.

A real estate agent, Abdul Wahid, said that hundreds of transfer and mutation of lands take place every day and the scrutiny process will delay the procedure, adding that their businesses will be adversely affected. According to him, the KMC had earlier initiated this scrutiny process but failed to stop ‘china cutting’.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 20^th, 2016.