Four TMAs running out of rented premises

Millions spent on rent each year could be saved, say officials.

LAHORE:

Four of the nine town municipal administrations (TMA) in the city are operating out of offices on rented land, at a cost of millions of rupees.

When the local bodies elections were held in 2001, the city was divided into seven towns. Two more towns were created in 2004, Samanabad Town and Wagha Town, out of Allama Iqbal Town and Shalimar Town, respectively.

Only the Samanabad TMA and the Aziz Bhatti TMA have their own buildings. Land for the latter was allotted next to the Cantonment Courts. The Samanabad TMA got its office as a gift from Allama Iqbal Town.

The Ravi Town office is located on the Lorry Adda bus terminal’s land. The Shalimar Town office is also located on city government land, while the Nishter Town office is on Public Health Department land. The Data Gunj Bakhsh, Wagha, Gulberg and Allama Iqbal town offices are on land rented from private parties.

Data Gunj Bakhsh Town has paid Rs132,812 per month as rent since 2001. Wagha Town has paid Rs108,000 per month since its TMA moved into new offices in Harbasnpura seven months ago. Earlier, the TMA operated out of a union council office at Jallo Mor. Gulburg Town pays Rs275,000 per month as rent while Allama Iqbal Town pays Rs250,000. Except for Data Gunj Bakhsh Town, each TMA’s rent increases 10 per cent annually.

Data Gunj Bakhsh Town Municipal Officer (TMO) Ali Abbas Bukhari said that all TMAs should have their own buildings. “This would save millions of rupees spent annually on rent,” he said.

Bukhari said that when the district governments were still headed by nazims, a couple of towns were allotted 4-kanal piece of land for their offices. Gulberg Town was allotted land in Barkat Market, though this was later changed to a plot in Model Town near International Market. Nishter town has land near the Rescue 1122 office on College Road in Township. “The plots are there but no construction is planned on the sites,” he said.

Samanabad TMO Imtiaz Awan said that each TMA should have its own structure. “Many TMAs don’t have enough space in their offices,” he said.

He said the city government could fund the buildings in phases. “In the first phase the CDGL could allocate money for land. Next year they could allocate funds to build the structures. The TMAs could design the buildings according to their needs,” he said.

Allama Iqbal TMO Muhammad Arif said that when the current district coordination officer was appointed he suggested the same to him. He suggested that the TMAs build offices on land recently repossessed from encroachers.

“The TMAs have vacated much government land during the anti-encroachment drive. The CDGL should allocate land to those TMAs which are functioning at rented venues,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 3^rd, 2011.