MIRPUR: Three of the most important segments of the civil society of Mirpur including traders, social workers and the entrepreneur affianced with the real estate Saturday strongly protested over the recent imposition of new additional charges against the already allotted plots in various housing and commercial sectors by the Mirpur Development Authority.
The leaders of the three segments, at the first leg of the their protest program in the city against the imposition of the new levies by the MDA, have demanded of the higher authorities of the MDA to immediately withdraw the additional development charges imposed on the already allotted plots, as imposed in March 21 meeting of the MDA’s Board, chaired by the Incharge Minister of the MDA and local Member of AJK Legislative Assembly Ch. Muhammad Saeed.
Addressing an emergent news conference leaders of the above three classes of the civil society including President Anjuman-e-Tajraan (Ittehad Group) Ch. Mahmood Ahmed, his associate Haji Muhammad Ramzan, Secretary General of the Traders Group Sheikh Muhammad Sarwar, Secretry Gneral of the Property Dealters Association Malik Akber Awan, Raja Shahid, Khawaja Amir, Ch. Khadim Hussain President of the Organisation Gulfraz Nazir, Muhamamd Latif, Haji Muhammad Jabaar, Makhdoom Afzal, Ishtiaq Ahmed, Khawaja Karamat, Rana Aaqib, Shabir Qureshi and others described imposition of the additional charges unwarranted, uncalled and immoral act of the MDA authorities.
The furious leaders gave ultimatum of ten days to the MDA authorities to withdraw the new additional levies in the name of ‘development charges’ on already allotted plots in various sectors of the Mirpur Development Authorities in Mirpur city and the adjoining hamlets.
Speaking to the media on this occasion the leader of the protestants Ch. Mahmood Ahmed, President of Markazi Anjuman-e-Tajran (Ittehad Group) Mirpur categorically said that the MDA had not moral and legal right to impose the levies in the name of development charges by force – since the MDA had already received all kinds of levies including price of the plots besides the development charges of the plots of all categories, allotted since over last 37 years – 1980. He underlined that despite the MDA received the development and others charges since the time of the allotment of the plots, the MDA has totally failed to provide basic amenities so far through developing the places of public utilization at the reserved sites including graveyards, mosques, schools, water supply and sewerage lines and parks in its housing sectors although the MDA received all the development funds and expenditures in its housing sectors while receiving the cost of the allotted plots, he underlined.
“Despite already receiving the development charges against the allotted plots, the imposition of the new additional development charges and other levies again upon the allottees is a big cruel act on the part of the in charge minister MDA and the local MLA Ch. Muhammad Saeedâ€, Mahmood bluntly maintained.
Ch. Mahmood continued that the due rights of the citizens of Mirpur including the allottees of the plots in MDA’s sectors would be protected in all circumstances what come may, he declared. He strongly demanded of the AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan to immediately order for the immediate withdrawal of the levies in the name of development charges imposed by the MDA against the allottees – which, he observed, was the brain child of the businessman-turned-politician – the Incharge Minister of MDA, Ch. Muhammad Saeed
President his faction of Markazi Anjuman-e-Tajran declared that the Mirpur population including the allottees would be constrained to take to street protest if the government did not withdraw the newly-imposed development charges upon the innocent allottees. “The entire responsibilities of the dire consequences will lie on the government especially the local MLA and the Incharge Minister of the MDAâ€, Mahmood warned.
Ch. Mahmood Ahmed stated that the citizens of Mirpur had voted for Ch. Muhammad Saeed in the AJK general elections not for getting to be ruined at his hands through such uncalled for and unwarranted and unjustified actions. “No body could be allowed to deprive the citizens including the allottees of their due rightsâ€, he declared.
The protestants leader said that Mirpur Development Authority was established primarily to house the shelter less affectees of Mangla dam at the time of construction of the country’s largest reservoir. But the institution was badly abused by the rulers of all the time who turned the institution as money minting, on one pretext or the other, for their selfish nourishment through monetary benefits.
Mahmood underlined that no such policy of securing the funds in the name of development charges on the already allotted plots was imposed in all of other development authorities in other districts of AJK as imposed upon the people of Mirpur. “This is a new way to rob the citizens of Mirpur once again as exercised several time in the pastâ€, he stated. He said that the MDA-sponsored notorious Jinnah Model Town scandal was still banged in the earth and the sky and some of the accused involved in the scam have been brought to justice and several of the main accused and the facilitators were still roaming free.
Speaking on this occasion, Secretary General of the Mirpur Property Dealers Association Malik Akber Awan demanded of the government to immediately withdraw the recently imposed new levies in the name of recharging of development funds against the already allotted plots. Awan also declared to launch the movement with the coordination of the local population against the above action on the part of the higher authorities of the MDA.
Inviting the immediate attention of the AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan towards the above action, Malik Akber Awan demanded of the Prime Minister to immediately order for withdrawal of the above re-imposed levies in form of development charges against the already allotted plots by the MDA since about last four decades, he concluded.
