No effort for basic facilities in Nishtar Town

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

LAHORE - The word laxity fits to its entirety to describe the sorry state of affairs of the Nishtar Town as for as the provision of basic amenities to the citizens is concerned, a survey of the town conducted by TheNation revealed.
The survey further revealed some hard facts in this regard like absence of sewerage and ghosts working there instead of the sanitation staff. Comprising 18 union councils (UCs) i.e UC 134-141, UC 142 and others falling in countryside, the town, comprises urban as well as rural vicinities including Green Town, Bagrian, Chungi Amer Sidhu, Qainchi, Peco Road, Nishtar Colony, Sher Shah Colony, Adda Plot, Raiwind Road and stretched to the remote areas of Kahna Kaaccha Ferozepur Road. Moreover, industrial area located on Maadr-e-Millat Road also falls in the boundaries of this town. Lack of clean drinking water is a major problem. It was decided to install water filtration plants on as many as 30 sites in the entire town precincts and the funds were to be generated by the respective union councils accordingly. The estimated cost to work out the plan was Rs 14.94 million. The funds, as per the decision, were to be transferred to Managing Director’s account to execute the plan.
It is worthy to mention here that funds allocated for the parliamentarians in different towns for the year 2010-11 is Rs 150 million in Nishtar Town. The MNAs and MPAs concerned were to recommend different developmental schemes like patchwork, surfacing and carpeting of roads, provision of sewerage and ensuring supply of clean drinking water etc in their respective constituencies to accomplish such tasks through the town administrations.
Data available with TheNation shows that the TMA Nishtar Town generated revenue of Rs 241.68 million in the fiscal year 2010-11 while the income expected in the current year is expected Rs 337, 347,000. The opening balance with the town is Rs 290, 894, 962. Total Rs 109, 940, 597 are allocated for current expenditure.
Two drains passing through the premises of the town namely Hadiara Drain and Satokatla Drain are a major threat to the residents of the surrounding localities. Sharafat Ali, a factory manager and a resident of Johar Town said the polluted water and poisonous chemicals falling in the drains as wastes by the factories are spreading different fatal diseases among the natives. They are also causing environmental pollution.
Talking to this scribe, TOR Usman Liaqat said that the encroachment operation being carried out by TMA earned Rs 3 million on account of fine, adding that some goods grabbed by town are lying in the town godowns.
Mazhar Ali and Mohammad Mushtaq praised the ongoing campaign against encroachment
Rana Idrees Ahmad, a property dealer of 5-C-II, told this scribe that the town administration has nothing to do with solution of the problems.
He said that former UC Nazim Khalid Butt spent hundreds of the rupees on a bus stop instead of the maintenance of the park. Talking about worst sewage of the area, the property dealer took the buffalo-shed owners to task for their act of pouring waste into the drains and causing sewage problems. Ladla Gujjar and Labba Gujjar and others are bribing the officials’, he alleged, adding they had links to the high ups and live in the residential area. He also criticised the WASA authorities for their poor performance in drinking water supply.
“We supply milk to the residents of the area and all those who blamed us for damaging the drains, buy milk from us,” a shed owner said. Two departments of the city district government, LDA and WASA have spoiled the road linking Sher Shah Housing Colony to the main Raiwind Road, the residents of the colony told this scribe.
Prof Ejaz Baloch and Mehar Tanvir, residents of the area said, the town administration failed in resolving the grave issues of the area people. The dilapidated condition of the road, they said, was an example of the lethargy of the town authorities. In addition, commuters have to face hardships due to the decaying condition of the road, they said, adding that transporters even are not ready to ply buses on the said route while they have already cancelled route No 77.
Muhammad Yaqub and Haji Rashid, residents of the Dubai Town situated on Raiwind Road told this scribe that the housing scheme comprises more than 1, 000 houses. There is not a single school for boys or girls in this scheme. Moreover, this scheme lacks any dispensary or park. The patients have to be carried miles away for check up in case of emergency, they said. They accused the owners of this land for selling the plots reserved for dispensary, school and park. There is no place to say funeral prayers, they said. They charged the administration for giving free hand to the contractors as for as the use of public money was concerned. Rana Akram, the contractor, spent Rs 180,000 on installing sewerage pipes but to no avail, they said. The contractor, however, denied the allegations saying he had received Rs128, 000 and his work was duly approved by the then authorities.