SUKKUR, Aug 9: The Sukkur Taluka Council allotted a park and another valuable property, housing a hospital and dispensary, to private parties during its recent sessions.

The lease of the over half an acre plot, which houses the Khuda Dad hospital and dispensary, being run for 50 years, was okayed at the council's Saturday meeting.

The plot, situated in the heart of the city near the Gurdwara Chowk, was allotted to the Faran Club, Sukkur, for construction of a hospital and a dialysis centre on a 50-year lease.

One Mohammad Shafi had submitted an application to Taluka Nazim Syed Kazim Ali Shah for leasing out the plot as, according to him, the taluka council could not maintain the building and run the hospital and dispensary.

A resolution in this regard was tabled at the session by Union Council Nazim Abdul Sattar Mughal which was passed by the council and the plot was allotted to the Faran Club. However, some councillors and union council nazims, including Iqbal Memon, Mohammad Akram and Hanif Bandhani, have opposed the allotment of the plots to the private parties.

Talking to journalists after boycotting the Saturday session, they accused the nazim, naib nazim and bureaucrats of the taluka council of taking bribe for leasing out the valuable properties at throw-away prices.

They alleged that as the tenure of the elected representatives was about to end and they were afraid that they would not get another chance, they were selling valuable plots of the city to get maximum benefit.

According to a market survey, both the plots were value at approximately Rs50 million. The nazims appealed to the Sindh chief minister, additional chief secretary, local government and National Reconstruction Bureau authorities to take notice of what they called illegal action of the council.

They said the cases should be sent to the NAB. They claimed that on both occasions when the resolutions regarding the selling of the plots were passed, the nazim and the naib nazim remained absent from the council.

PARK: One of the oldest parks of the city, situated on the right bank of the Indus river, has been allotted by the Taluka council for the construction of a commercial laboratory.

The park, which is used by students for studying purpose and by public as a health club and other recreational activities, has been leased out against the wishes of people.

Social and political circles has condemned the resolution and said a huge bribe was involved in the deal in which the taluka nazim, naib nazim and bureaucrats of the Taluka council were allegedly involved. They alleged an influential figure of the city wanted to grab precious plot on which the park was situated.