Real-estate project: KDA to introduce new housing scheme

New scheme to include commercial and residential plots

KARACHI: After the revival of the defunct Karachi Development Authority (KDA), its director-general Syed Nasir Abbas announced on Monday plans to introduce a new low-cost housing scheme.

According to the press statement, Abbas issued directions to prepare paperwork for the new scheme of the KDA, called 'Scheme 46'. He also issued orders to compile the list of all KDA's property and to take those properties of the KDA back that are currently under other departments.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Abbas said that for now this is just an idea to introduce a new scheme, for which they will have to acquire land from the revenue department. He added that even the area of the Scheme 46 has not been finalised yet, however, they were eyeing the land beyond Toll Plaza and Bahria Town. The new scheme, he said, will include commercial and residential plots, with five per cent quota for armed forces.

However, former Karachi Metropolitan Corporation administrator Fahim Zaman claimed that the land beyond Toll Plaza has already been acquired by Malir Development Authority (MDA) and it is not possible for the KDA to develop any new scheme on MDA's land.

What's ironic is that the KDA, which is unable to consolidate its old schemes, is now hoping to start a new one. A long-serving officer of the Karachi Development Authority (KDA), on condition of anonymity, told The Express Tribune that the statement issued by the KDA does not hold any ground. He claimed that it wasn't practically possible for the KDA to develop a new scheme on the MDA's land. "The KDA should consolidate its existing schemes," the official said. KDA's last schemes of Hawke's Bay and Taiser Town, which were later transferred to Lyari Development Authority (LDA) and the MDA respectively in the late 1980s, failed.



He added that the KDA, LDA and MDA will definitely have to meet the standards of development done by the Bahria Town and the DHA.

Meanwhile, MDA DG Imran Ata Soomro said that they have not gone through any such statement of KDA and added that they were not sure where the KDA will initiate the Scheme 46. Soomro further said that no other authority can develop any scheme on MDA's land.

How new scheme begins 

Usually when the KDA starts a new scheme, they have to acquire land from Board of Revenue. Next they begin the physical planning in which the residential commercial and amenity plots are demarcated, according to the town planning's rules.

KDA's official explained that balloting is done for plots up to 400 yards, while auction takes place for plots above 400 yard and for commercial plots. After this, KDA has to ensure infrastructural development and provide utility lines in the area. For the low cost housing, the official said that around 80 yard plots are carved, which are way cheaper than the larger ones.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 22^nd, 2016.