HYDERABAD: The Sindh High Court Hyderabad circuit bench on Tuesday issued pre-admission notices to government officials, including provincial secretaries of health, works and local government, MPA and MNA of Qasimabad taluka, officers of taluka municipal administration and HDA, EDOs, Water and Sanitation Agency and managing directors of various construction companies for February 24.
The notices were issued on a constitutional petition, jointly filed by seven residents of Qasimabad taluka who are being represented by Ayaz Latif Palejo advocate.
Petitioners seek details of completion of drainage scheme, provision of safe drinking water and details of expenditures incurred on development works from 2006 to 2011.
According to petitioners respondent officials are responsible for deteriorating educational standards thus depriving students of their right to quality education, absence of teaching staff who work privately and blocking entry of underprivileged students into government schools.
Respondents are blamed for not providing health facilities to residents of Qasimabad where doctors are not available with cronyism and nepotism reigning supreme. The government district hospital Qasimabad is faced with shortage of physicians and staff nurses. There are no doctors and staff for Hepatitis treatment and vaccination. Even anti-snake venom and anti-rabies vaccines are not available. Only 50 beds are available in hospital for entire town. Doctors work privately because of the negligence of EDO Health Hyderabad. Doctors ensure their attendance through payment of bribes.
Petitioners alleged that managing directors of Arif, Abdullah, Al-Mustafa, Hussain and Mohammadi builders fleece people through their misleading schemes, and poor clients often lose 20 per cent of the money they pay at the time of booking, only to be told later that they don`t quality for loan referring to Siddique Livena, Abdullah Garden, Naqash, Memon Society and Prince Town.
Respondents in contravention to universal building and design standards fail in providing quake-resistant buildings though the country is situated on fault line. Petitioners called for constructing quake-proof buildings and failure would be termed a criminal negligence.
Respondent builders show less booking fees which is tantamount to misleading tax payers and a customer faces cancellation of booking if he refuses illegal increase. He gets it back with a heavy penalty.
Although builders charge twice and thrice the amount of normal development fees but provide unsatisfactory designs, use sub-standard construction material and no maintenance. Possession is elongated for years and at times money is sunk and project halted midway. There are dozens of such schemes.
Petitioners raising hygiene issue said that conditions in Qasimabad taluka are such that people are losing their health due to failure in building drainage lines since two decades while sanitary staff remains absent. Safar Sheedi Goth, Wahdat Colony, Akhtar Cottage, Prince Town, Guddu Naka, Pathan Goth and Gulistan-e-Sajjad are areas where heaps of garbage is seen and its entire drainage system is choked with filthy water whose disposal remains non- existent.
Respondents including the DCA, Director Housing HAD and Project Director Hyderabad Development Package did not build roads in the taluka. Lighting arrangements are a far cry. Administrator TMA Qasimabad has not provided recreation facilities while parks are destroyed and no steps taken to restore these.
Rani Bagh has no shelter for animals which die due to extreme cold or heat. There is no elephant, lion, fox, wolves or a kangaroo.
Respondents should put right the issues. Administrator Qasimabad is spending a lot of money on development but public was unaware of the transparency of these funds. Qasimabad is rapidly expanding but arrangements are not there to cater to needs of its population.
Qasimabad residents face hardships due to ban on routes of buses but traffic jams remain there, resulting in accidents.
Petitioners prayed the court to direct respondents to provide potable drinking water to residents and ensure health and hygiene in Qasimabad taluka.
Source: Dawn
Date:2/2/2011
