Rs. 780Mln Model Town Planed for Kashmiri Expatriates in AJK
By Altaf Hamid Rao 'Pakistan Times' Kashmir Bureau Chief

MIRPUR (AJK): With the financial assistance of the government of Pakistan, Mirpur Development Authority will construct a grand housing sector – Model Town here in the near future for providing latest residential facilities to the aspirant overseas Kashmiris, Mangla dam affectees and other eligible deserving local shelter less persons, Chairman Mirpur Development Authority Sardar Muhammad Rahim Khan announced.

“3500 kanal of land has been acquired by MDA at Sankia/Dohala in outskirt of existing Mirpur city for the proposed Model Town residential resort with the cost of Rs. 780 million”, the MDA chief said adding that this amount has been provided by WAPDA to the MDA under the Mirpur uplift plan under the spirit of the under-construction Mangla Dam raising project.

He said that construction work on this housing project will be executed soon. Rahim said that he was grateful of Commissioner Mangla Dam Affairs Ch. Amir Afzal and ex Joint Commissioner Ch. Muhammad Munir for their active and sincere role to get the project expedited through getting managed the transfer of the funds by WAPDA for purchase of land for this housing sector, to be carved with latest civic amenties.

Director Estate Management Raja Fazal ur Rehman, Director Works Jalil Ahmed, Deputy Director Mirza Kaleem Jiraal, Assistant Secretary Rashid Hanif and other top officials of the MDA were also present on this occasion.

The MDA Chairman continued that site for Model Town comprising 3500 kanal of land has been awarded in favour of the MDA which has taken over the possession of the land since May 21 (last month). He said that the eligible and deserving state subjects of six categories including Mangla dam affectees, overseas Kashmiris, government employees and other local shelter less persons will be allotted the plots in Model town through transparent manner of secret balloting. He said that quota for all the determined categories will be determined before the allotment.

The MDA Chairman said that commercial plots in various residential sectors of MDA will soon be sold through an open auction and formal schedule to this effect will soon be announced. He said that under the spirit to strengthen its financial resources, MDA recently earned Rs. 43 million through auction of its commercial plots. He said that more income of 100 million is expected during the upcoming auction by the MDA.

Referring to other new and ongoing development projects of public welfare launched by the MDA, Sardar Rahim said that Rs. 240 million new development projects were being launched by his institution during current fiscal year to benefit the citizens. He said that Rs. 48 million development projects in various housing sectors of the MDA were executed. He said that MDA could approve the development projects up to worth Rs. 2500 million by itself.

The MDA Chairman said that various projects including Mian Muhamamd Buksh Library, Bhotto Park, Children Park F/2 and introduction of traffic signals have so far been completed by the Authority by the end of the current fiscal year.

The MDA Chief said that another piece of land comprising two thousand kanal of land is also being reserved at the area close of Kashmir mills on Mangla-Mirpur road for another housing sector to accommodate the shelterle3ss local dwellers waiting for their shelter since long.

He said that besides site comprising 500 kanal of land was also being reserved at the huge area near Kashmir Mills for the establishment of a graveyard. He said site for establishment of graveyards for housing sectors of F/1, G/1 and adjoining residential areas was also being reserved.

He said that MDA has also planned landscaping in various localities of the city besides erection of street lights and parks for the benefit of the population.

To a question, MDA Chairman said that allotees of the plots at the recently de-awarded area at sector D/4 will soon be allotted the alternative plots – since there was not mistake on the part of the allottees – rather it might be the result of any mistake or misdeed on the part of any official of the MDA, he added.●