With an explosively growing population in Karachi, the socioeconomic balance of the city is severely hampered. As there are more people for the given facilities, the Well to do bunch of people tend to take over all the amenities, while the middle and lower class are left stunned.

The rapidly multiplying population correspondingly has ever increasing demand for housing societies. The societies in turn only interests the middle and lower class if it’s pocket friendly and can cater the needs. On one hand there is a constant struggle of providing maximum number of people with the housing facilities, while on the other, the land mafia is claiming fake possession of land, snatching the rights of poor and ultimately making the situation even worse.

Keeping the critical situation of the city in view, Government of Sindh in 1993 established Malir Development Authority, with the focus to develop the neglected land into housing societies.

Malir Development Authority (MDA):

This government institution is established to support the poor and the middle class. MDA aims at developing housing societies in such affordable prices to best fit the poor. The developing housing societies offer all the basic residential amenities to fulfill the needs and currently around 125,000 planned residential plots are being actively developed.

As mentioned above, the activation of Land Mafia in Karachi and their holdings on significant area of land. To get their hands off the land, MDA is actively operating, having retrieved considerable area and yet there is still room for the restoration of land.

Malir development authority in Karachi has introduced three housing schemes, namely:

• New Malir Housing Scheme-1
• Shah Latif Town Scheme 25-A
• Taiser Town Scheme-45

New Malir Housing Scheme:

To meet the demand for shelter of about 1 Million people and to empower the housing and commercial development, New Malir Housing scheme is introduced. The beauty of this scheme is the top-notch facilities at reasonable price it offers for housing. This housing scheme has its base on 4000 acres of land, located in North east of Karachi. The purpose of this scheme is not only to increase the residency but also to become the very economic center of North east of Karachi.

Location:

This housing scheme enjoys ease in transportation as it is situated on the Main National Highway and a link road connects it to the Super Highway. The location of this housing society attracts people because it lies in proximity to:

• Still Mills
• Education city, where many well-known universities are situated
•  The core of Bin Qasim Industrial Zone, one of the largest industrial areas in Karachi

Sectors:

This scheme is divided into 25 sectors, out of which 16 sectors are designated for residential purposes. Along this, commercial plots also occupy a share and likewise corridors are chosen for commercial areas.

Commercial plots involving different categories like petrol pumps, CNGs, and cottage industry etc., are allotted via auction.

Amenities:

Without basic facilities a housing society is merely a failure and to escape the “failure”, New Malir Housing Scheme urges to provide people with all basic amenities including the water supply, electricity and treatment plants for treating waste water effluent

Furthermore, schools, colleges, universities and hospitals are planned to be constructed. Also, recreational amenities like parks, playgrounds and other such facilities are promised to be provided in abundance.

Recent Updates:

After a long pause, as per a news published in national dailies on 24^th December, Additional Director General (ADG) of MDA, Abdul Nasir has finally confirmed that 90% of the infrastructure development in New Malir Housing Scheme has been completed. This reflects that the project is near completion and the days are not far when lower income groups will be benefited from the scheme.

MDA Retrieving Property:

The allotted plots to the poor are illegally possessed by land mafia, building their own unauthorized housing societies. Abdul Nasir MDA ADG, opened up to media that the total land in possession of land mafia is 5000 acres and the value of this illegally owned property is in billions. This is such a shocking news. Retrieving the land from the land mafia is the only way out! He further added that operations are being conducted by the Malir development authority under strict instructions of the Sindh Information and Local Government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah.

As a result of the conducted operations, MDA managed to successfully retrieve 1200 acres of the land during the last two months. He further said that to recover the remaining part of the land, a planned operation is in progress, while taking the forces and the related agencies in confidence. He ensured that the operation won’t rest unless every foot of the possessed land is retrieved.

Also, he talked about a new housing project under spotlight of MDA. This housing project is speculated to be a reasonable scheme for people, as it’s the ultimate goal of MDA to provide the lower income class with reasonable housing schemes. It is anticipated that the new housing project is no other than the well known project of MDA, Taiser town. He referred to this project by highlighting it as  “good news” for people.

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