HYDERABAD, Jan 29 The focal person of the district government refuting the claim of Mehboob Abro that work on Gulistan-i-Sarmast, a low cost housing scheme has been put on hold, said that it was only stopped for an inquiry by the Sindh Chief Minister with the local bodies` minister still on board.

Mohammad Hakim said this in reply to a resolution tabled by Javed Kardar during the district council session on Thursday. Convener Zafar Rajput adjourned the session to Saturday.

Mehboob Abro had contented that the price of land was not paid by the district government and Awam Dost members and district council not taken on board by the district nazim.

District nazim is the chairman of Hyderabad Development Authority which is an autonomous body and it was not bound to bring everything before the council, Hakim said.

He reminded that the Gulistan-i-Sarmast scheme was introduced in 1983 on Ganju Takkar hills on 5,000 acres near Kohsar but remained dormant for want of land price fixation but the district nazim got the job done by Land Utilisation Department and sent it to the CM for approval. Approval by the minister of local bodies indicates completion of all legal formalities while that of the CM over cost of land would be done soon, he hoped.

Plots would be given free of cost with the recovery of only development charges that too, because of soaring inflation, he said.

The population would be settled at Ganju Takkar as there remained no vacant land on Super Highway and a circular road network would be developed for providing access to urban and rural people, he stressed.

Mehboob Abro sticking to his point of view said that the scheme had not been approved through proper channel and rapped the HDA for destroying the sewerage system of the city in the past and called for taking action against land mafia. He called on the committees formed by the house to submit their reports.

Dr Arif Razmi reminded Abro not to lose track and advised of developing the city horizontally instead of vertically. He castigated every Tom, Dick and Harry of assuming the label of a builder with civic issues stockpiling. People were now reaping enormous profit from the plots they bought decades back. Citing an example, he said, a plot worth Rs48,000 in Gulshan-e-Shahbaz was now fetching Rs200,000 as those who had booked plots were being penalised by final notices and Sehwan Development Authority had come to their rescue by inviting private builders.

Ashraf Munna supporting new schemes called for reviving the decades-old plans while referring to Kohsar extension, Daman-e-Kohsar and Gulshan-e-Quaid in which people had invested in millions with work yet to complete.

Comparing the land of Gulistan-e-Saramst scheme, he said it was much more than the land on which population of Latifabad was settled and urged its immediate completion.

Ashfaq Naqshbandi criticising builders asked the HDA to ban construction of plazas on 120 and 150 square yards plots as these were multiplying to the already overloaded civic problems. Rules should be framed for occupants of plazas for maintenance.

Hussain Bux Hussaini said that mostly investors come forward in such schemes to deprive poor of their homes. He said schemes should be executed on the pattern of Taiser Town and without seeking advance and on easy instalments.