Karachi: Karachi Development Authority (KDA) is set to seek assistance from the Sindh government to allocate numerous acres near the Northern Bypass for a large housing project. This initiative aims not only to revitalize KDA’s finances but also to reestablish its former prestige.
Sources informed that despite approval from the KDA board two years prior, progress on the new housing scheme has stalled due to the need to acquire state land from the provincial government. The land in question, outside city limits, is managed by the Malir Development Authority (MDA) or the Lyari Development Authority (LDA).
Since its inception in 1957, KDA has created over 700,000 plots across 45 housing schemes. Four of these—Shah Latif Town, Hawkesbay, Taiser Town, and Halkani Town—were handed over to the MDA and LDA in 1993.
KDA Director General Naveed Anwer revealed plans to submit a proposal to the chief minister for over 14,000 acres near the Northern Bypass, with a request for concessional rates payable in four installments. The Board of Revenue will also be approached for property information of private land for acquisition.
With surging demand for housing and Karachi’s housing sector only able to supply approximately 32,000 of the 100,000 annual units needed, the KDA’s scheme seeks to address the shortfall often filled by informal settlements. The inability of low-income residents to escape from Katchi Abadis (slums) forces many into crowded and unsanitary rental housing arrangements.
Focusing on alleviating its financial woes, including employee compensation liabilities, KDA is gearing up for plot auctions, following a request for a Rs2 billion grant from the caretaker government to clear its dues.
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