They don’t care about us: State Bank Housing Society residents still waiting to be given basic utilities
Since last 10 years, they have no water, gas or electricity connections
Farhan* responded that the previous owners of the plots had already paid the society for all the utility work. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
Not even in his wildest imagination, Hassan* thought he would be making rounds of the Sindh Secretariat, in the later part of his life, just to get water, gas and electricity connections for his house.
He invested Rs0.8 million in a plot at State Bank of Pakistan Class IV Employees Co-operative Housing Society around 10 years back, with the plan to spend the rest of his life peacefully with his family in the gated community. However, till date he is waiting for the basic utilities to be provided by the management of the society.
Land being the one of the most coveted commodities in Karachi leads many people to invest their life savings in it. Most of the times, these hard-earned savings are left at the mercy of encroachers or corrupt managements of the societies and the government seems to do nothing about it.
The residents of the State Bank of Pakistan Class IV Employees Co-operative Housing Society had invested their hard-earned money in the plots around 10 to 12 years ago but till date they are waiting for the basic utilities, including K-Electric and Karachi Water and Sewerage Board's connections for which they have also paid the management.
Beginnings
The society was registered in the year 1969 and spreads over 25 acres of land in Sector 17-A, Scheme 33 in Gulshan-e-Hijri. Initially, all the plot owners were the employees of the State Bank of Pakistan; however, later many plots were sold to other people.
Several houses in the society, including Hassan's* house, have installed solar panels succumbing to the apathy of the management of the society and the Sindh government.
Hassan* pointed out that according to the bylaws of the cooperative housing societies, the possessions couldn't be given before laying all the utility connections. However, in their case, he said that the management of the society assured them to start the construction of their houses and they would lay down all the connection within six months.
Apathetic attitude
Hassan* had taken up the matter with the cooperative society secretary, Ghulam Mustafa Phul. "I went to the secretary's office and waited for about seven hours to see him," he said.
"The secretary halfheartedly listened to our woes and asked us to meet the deputy secretary. The deputy secretary then transferred the case to some section officer, who moved our case to the registrar of the cooperative societies from where our case was sent back to the management," he said laughing and added that no one in the Sindh government was ready to even listen to their problems.
Despite repeated calls, Phul wasn't available for the comments. Another resident of the society Farhan* explained why the management has no interest in the society.
The bylaws of the society allow only in-service or retired officials of the State Bank of Pakistan to be the part of it, he said, adding that no resident of the society is currently State Bank's employee as the plots have been sold out several times, since the society was planned.
"Since the management does not have any stake in the society they don't accommodate for us," he said.
To change the society bylaws we would have to take the matter in the court, which can take years, he pointed out. Right now, all we need is basic utilities connections, he added.
Management's version
When The Express Tribune contacted the general secretary of the society, Muhammad Saleem, he said that the work for the electric connections was underway and assured that before Eid the society would have its own electricity.
Regarding sewage lines, he said that they have been laid and, water and gas connections will be provided once the residents pay for it.
Denying all the allegations leveled by the residents of the society, he said that the management decided to give possessions to the residents before laying any utility lines because they feared society to get encroached.
He pointed out that the current residents of the society never paid any amount for the utility to them. "The residents only paid the amount of the plots to the previous owners of the plots," he said adding that nothing was paid to the society.
To this, Farhan* responded that the previous owners of the plots had already paid the society for all the utility work. "We have also paid to the society twice to lay down the utility lines," he said adding that they also have receipt of the payments.
*Names have been changed to protect identity
Published in The Express Tribune, July 5th, 2016.
Not even in his wildest imagination, Hassan* thought he would be making rounds of the Sindh Secretariat, in the later part of his life, just to get water, gas and electricity connections for his house.
He invested Rs0.8 million in a plot at State Bank of Pakistan Class IV Employees Co-operative Housing Society around 10 years back, with the plan to spend the rest of his life peacefully with his family in the gated community. However, till date he is waiting for the basic utilities to be provided by the management of the society.
Land being the one of the most coveted commodities in Karachi leads many people to invest their life savings in it. Most of the times, these hard-earned savings are left at the mercy of encroachers or corrupt managements of the societies and the government seems to do nothing about it.
The residents of the State Bank of Pakistan Class IV Employees Co-operative Housing Society had invested their hard-earned money in the plots around 10 to 12 years ago but till date they are waiting for the basic utilities, including K-Electric and Karachi Water and Sewerage Board's connections for which they have also paid the management.
Beginnings
The society was registered in the year 1969 and spreads over 25 acres of land in Sector 17-A, Scheme 33 in Gulshan-e-Hijri. Initially, all the plot owners were the employees of the State Bank of Pakistan; however, later many plots were sold to other people.
Several houses in the society, including Hassan's* house, have installed solar panels succumbing to the apathy of the management of the society and the Sindh government.
Hassan* pointed out that according to the bylaws of the cooperative housing societies, the possessions couldn't be given before laying all the utility connections. However, in their case, he said that the management of the society assured them to start the construction of their houses and they would lay down all the connection within six months.
Apathetic attitude
Hassan* had taken up the matter with the cooperative society secretary, Ghulam Mustafa Phul. "I went to the secretary's office and waited for about seven hours to see him," he said.
"The secretary halfheartedly listened to our woes and asked us to meet the deputy secretary. The deputy secretary then transferred the case to some section officer, who moved our case to the registrar of the cooperative societies from where our case was sent back to the management," he said laughing and added that no one in the Sindh government was ready to even listen to their problems.
Despite repeated calls, Phul wasn't available for the comments. Another resident of the society Farhan* explained why the management has no interest in the society.
The bylaws of the society allow only in-service or retired officials of the State Bank of Pakistan to be the part of it, he said, adding that no resident of the society is currently State Bank's employee as the plots have been sold out several times, since the society was planned.
"Since the management does not have any stake in the society they don't accommodate for us," he said.
To change the society bylaws we would have to take the matter in the court, which can take years, he pointed out. Right now, all we need is basic utilities connections, he added.
Management's version
When The Express Tribune contacted the general secretary of the society, Muhammad Saleem, he said that the work for the electric connections was underway and assured that before Eid the society would have its own electricity.
Regarding sewage lines, he said that they have been laid and, water and gas connections will be provided once the residents pay for it.
Denying all the allegations leveled by the residents of the society, he said that the management decided to give possessions to the residents before laying any utility lines because they feared society to get encroached.
He pointed out that the current residents of the society never paid any amount for the utility to them. "The residents only paid the amount of the plots to the previous owners of the plots," he said adding that nothing was paid to the society.
To this, Farhan* responded that the previous owners of the plots had already paid the society for all the utility work. "We have also paid to the society twice to lay down the utility lines," he said adding that they also have receipt of the payments.
*Names have been changed to protect identity
Published in The Express Tribune, July 5th, 2016.