SHC seeks details of land earmarked for bus termini

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday sought the details of lands, allocated for construction of bus terminals in the outskirts of metropolis.

A division bench of the SHC headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar issued the directives while the case related to entry of heavy traffic.

The bench showed its resentment over the absence of Senior Member, Board of Revenue Sindh, at which the provincial government attorney told the court that senior member has been posted after the transfer of previous one, however he has yet to take the charge.

The bench observed that whether there is any ceremony held to take the care as he didn’t come in the court when even Commissioner and Mayor of city are appearing in the case.

The court also expressed its dissatisfaction over contradictions in the replies of various departments of the government related to allocation of land for the bus terminals.

“The court was informed about fifty acres of land and then it was told that it was 150 acres of land and story went on when it was later told that it was 500 acres,” the bench observed and ordered the authorities to present details of lands for bus terminals.

The court sought the details of land allocated at Northern Bypass in District West and put off the hearing of the case till June 19, 2019.

The Secretary Transport told the court that Daewoo Company would construct a separate terminal for 1000 buses fleet and construction of terminal for inter-city buses has been advertised.

The commissioner Karachi told the court that 100 acres of land has been handed over to Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) at Northern Bypass.

The KMC lawyer told the court that the corporation has been facing the shortage of funds to develop the terminal due to non-release of required budget from the provincial government.