'Local govt cannot collect tax from SITE area'

Town municipal committee staff collecting electricity generator, car parking fee from SITE tenants

Listen to article

HYDERABAD:

The Sindh Industrial and Trading Estate (SITE) Limited has taken an exception to Hyderabad Municipal Committee (HMC) intervention with regard to collection of illegal taxes from the former's jurisdiction in Hyderabad SITE area.

In this regard an official of SITE Hyderabad region wrote a letter on Wednesday to Chairman Town Municipal Corporation (TMC) Sachal Sarmast asking him to stop his staff from continuing that practice.

"The TMC is charging various fees from our [SITE Limited's] tenants such as electricity generator fees, car parking fees and road vehicles charges." According to SITE, the charging of illegal fees from carts and cabins by the TMC's staff has led to a surge in the soft encroachment on roads of the SITE area. The official reiterated that only the SITE Limited is lawfully allowed to collect any form of taxes from its jurisdiction.

The Hyderabad SITE area was established in 1952. The industrial zone is spread over 1,264 acres in Latifabad taluka of Hyderabad. Although the zone is supposed to house only industries, the SITE authorities have time and again extended approvals for commercial projects and activities in apparent violation of the by-laws.

Barkat Bhai Park

Hyderabad SITE Association of Trade and Industry (HSATI) has urged the SITE Limited to handover Barkat Bhai Park in the SITE area to Fateh Group Limited for renovation and further development.

The association's Vice Chairman Ehsan Mueed Shaikh in a correspondence to the Managing Director of SITE Limited complained that since the park was taken over by the SITE authorities it has become a subject to neglect.

He recalled that the park in question was established by the Fateh Group for the general public. However, after the SITE Limited took control of its upkeep the park has become desolate besides being encroached by the squatters. Shaikh said the group is willing to renovate and further develop the park from its own resources if the facility is handed back to them.