The Christmas

Nobody knocks at the door in this day and age for now it’s the email or SMS that drops in. In this fast growing economic hub of the country we are missing out on life and its value. Everyone with the survival of the fittest approach in mind is short of time to continue with the old traditions and customs, whether good or bad.
There was a time when people used to visit and greet each other on many occasions, including Eid and Christmas. Families and friends used to spend time together, exchange smiles and sweets, and share views and thoughts. Children used to ask for Eidi while the elders bargained on. A few among us who found it impossible to see our relatives and friends made it a point to post letters and greeting cards and send gifts to fill in our absence. Visit to a market place for selection of a gift or a card followed by its purchase and delivery was something that expressed our love and affection to our nearest and dearest on such occasions.
Unfortunately, it’s no more there which is obvious from the fact that the sale of greeting cards has drastically dropped over the past some years. Initially it was e-greetings and now it’s short messaging service that has replaced them. As for presents, some courier services do have introduced packages to buy and deliver gifts on the senders’ behalf though the convenience with which we send such presents can’t fully express our efforts, warmth and emotions.
And the results are clear – families are spending less time together.
The world is spinning fast and taking the souls of many with it. I’m not at all against technological advances or economic progress. However, it’s equally important that such advancement must not make us oblivious to our social and cultural development.—HA

Of playschools

L I T T L E hearts need apt care and best schooling. Bearing this in mind, yours truly browsed through the internet, asked colleagues and friends, and visited different localities in search of the best playschools for his first-born. In the absence of any official rating, there was no option but to go through each and every playschool in the city despite knowing that a single visit wouldn’t be enough in any way to evaluate their standards.
Most schools register children and charge a few hundred rupees for that before holding any kind of assessment to grant admissions. There are a few reputed ones as well where parents are told to get their children registered first even if they want to see a classroom or meet teachers for any query. Once a child is successfully registered with the school, the parents are provided with a prospectus containing a general outline of the questions to be asked from the child at the time of admission. From twinkle, twinkle little star to ring a ring-o-roses; from the alphabet to counting; and from the names of parents to those of colours, the child must know all, as it’s just a pre-requisite for admission. The preparation goes on till the test date is announced or published as the case maybe according to the status of a school.
Even if the three-year-old is lucky enough to remember what was taught to him at the time of evaluation, there is a catch, for the reputed schools in addition to the child’s assessment also interview the parents. Sometimes they come up with an excuse like ‘we are sorry the school policy is that we prefer working mothers’.
Then there are some other pre-nurseries, which do not have such strict policies and thus grant admissions merely by charging an extra buck. The successful parents are asked to pay an admission fee, annual charges, volunteer donations, tuition fee and examination cost. Besides, a long list of stationery items to be purchased for their child is handed over to them.
Certainly many parents looking for better education of their child have no objection to all such demands. But yours truly happens to be a reclusive nonconformist who preferred to get his tiny tot admitted to a school not that classy. After all it was not a question of securing a seat in any distinguished medical college but one in a kindergarten for a three-year-old.—HA

Circus in Gulshan

In the present times of world-weariness when a fun-starved society has turned to news channels for entertainment, it is encouraging to see the country’s biggest circus in Gulshan, enthralling Karachians.

The troupe, Lucky Irani Circus, has come all the way from Lahore to pitch a tent in the midst of several high-rise apartment buildings. Being an affordable recreation the show has attracted large crowds from different parts of the city over the past some days. Lion show, flying trapeze, walk and cycling on wire and the spine-tingling death-well are the major attractions not only for children but also for grown-ups. Besides, one of the most brilliant performances is that of a juggler who plays with balls and fiery torches while balancing himself on a rolling cylinder.

On a recent visit I came to know that the circus was initially owned by a family migrated from Jalandhar and settled in Nawabshah after Partition. Later it changed hands and got fame for acrobatics from Iranian gymnasts who remained part of it until a couple of decades back. Started with a 60-member crew, the troupe used to travel from villages to towns in a single truck to put up shows. Now with hundreds of performers and lots of animals and vehicles the troupe stages circuses across the country round the year.

However, the journey to a fully-fledged circus company was not easy in the absence of any official patronage. But then, I wonder what really binds a joker to circus if it’s neither remuneration nor respect that society offers him. Maybe just a noble act to please people, or what? –HA

Party flags

On a recent chilly morning I was driving back home after dropping my tot at her school when I got confused about crossing an intersection. In fact the traffic signal ahead was wrapped in a party flag. Both the red and green colours of that piece of cloth were dictating me to adopt two opposite courses of action. There was no other car around.

Luckily a traffic cop standing on a nearby pavement caught my sight. He was telling me to stop. I applied brakes and requested him to ask party workers to pull down their flag for the convenience of commuters. He said he did try but their response was disgusting. They said: “Mind your own business.” Since that day he only minds his own business, he said.

Afterwards I noticed a number of pedestrian bridges, flyovers, road islands, streetlights and traffic signals decorated with flags of different political parties.

Interestingly, the number of flags has doubled since the general elections. It seems their election campaigns still continue and decorating public property is very much in vogue, yet I hope that the leadership of all parties may pull down the flags from traffic signals at least in the best public interest.—HA

KPC polls

At last the press club elections are over and so are the vigorous campaigns that started a week ago.

No doubt daily visit to newspaper offices by contestants demanding votes despite disturbing the work atmosphere is a healthy trend. But the volley of text messages asking for votes sent to almost every club member was not appreciated much.

It started off with an average of a few messages everyday on behalf of contesting panels, but the practice somehow gained momentum and during the last couple of days every individual candidate took advantage of cheap or free packages being offered by mobile phone service providers. The text messages being run were: appeal to all members to cast their valuable vote to elect their panel; this group is being supported by mister so and so; this team will serve you all; we promise you the best future and development of housing scheme; please support me as an MGB candidate (member governing body).

Such messages were not limited to mobile phones as they bombarded even inboxes of some journalists. On the polling day, there were half a dozen messages every couple of hours, reminding club members of their duty to cast vote and of course for one or the other group of contestants. The learned contestants were successful, for yours truly rushed to the press club to cast vote in a bid to get rid of the nuisance at the earliest. But unfortunately it was not the case for the messages continued until the polling ended.

With the fast-growing media and technological sophistication, I fear the future election campaigns may not involve video-conferencing to convince voters.—HA

Karachi Sabzi Mandi: basic amenities still a dream

The Karachi Market Committee working under the Sindh agriculture department has begun making allotments in two new vegetable and fruit wholesale markets, being established along the Northern Bypass and the National Highway, though the committee has yet to provide basic amenities in the existing Sabzi Mandi which was shifted to the Super Highway seven years ago.

Sources said that allotment of thousands of plots, each measuring 1,000 square yards, had already been completed in the new wholesale markets, each spread over nearly 100 acres given by the revenue department. However, traders fear that plot-holders will not get any facility in the new projects like the promised facilities, including water, power, gas, road infrastructure and other services in the existing market, which still lacks all of them despite the fact that millions of rupees were collected by the market committee from them as development charges at the time of allotment.

Complaining that the market committee has so far been unable to provide facilities and stop encroachment in the existing market, traders allege that committee officials are now looking for ways to mint more money by giving allotments in the new markets. The Falahi Anjuman Wholesale Vegetable Market demands that the government reconstitute the market committee, saying that the Karachi Market Committee’s composition is not in accordance with the Agriculture Produce Act under which traders, growers and consumers shall get representation in the committee to run the affairs of the wholesale market.”

Hundreds of fake allotment cases have been pending undecided for more than a decade, while the market committee has allotted amenity plots, including those reserved for a fire station and a parking lot, to encroachers. It is all because the market committee is not adhering to the provisions of the agriculture act as well as high court and ombudsman directives,” says Mohammad Javed, president of the Malir Fruit Merchants and Growers Association. Besides the basic amenities, traders say, the existing market was supposed to have a dispensary, a guest house with 18 rooms, two weighbridges (electronic), three police posts and a fire station. But little facilities exist on ground in the market where between 25,000 and 30,000 people are engaged in business and handling of vegetable and fruit consignments.

Administrator of the Market Committee Anwar Ali Gopang in his brief comment confirmed that 25 per cent of plots in the new wholesale markets had been allotted out. However, he could not be contacted for further details despite repeated attempts on the phone and visits to the market committee’s office.

Rs1bn loan

The Super Highway market was established at a cost of Rs1 billion under a loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank. The bank provided 85 per cent cost of the project and the rest was arranged by the market committee through other sources.On Dec 24, 1991, the Board of Revenue gave 94 acres and 34 ghuntas of land for the establishment of this wholesale market for which ground rate was fixed at Re1 per square yard. However, without the approval of a layout plan, construction of roads, toilets, dispensary, installation of electricity meters and provision of water and gas, the market was shifted from the University Road to the Super Highway on March 16, 2001 and no development work has ever been carried out since then.The scheme originally envisaged 1,794 plots of different sizes but on traders’ demand the number of plots was increased to 3,225, and to 4,072 in the second layout plan. Then the number of plots was reduced to 3,483 in the third plan and 3,378 in the fourth plan. Later a fifth layout plan was chalked out making the number of plots 4,348 -- 3,152 plots for shops and 1,196 plots for general auction. This plan, which had been verified by the former ombudsman in June 2000 in his decision of a case pertaining to market affairs, was also approved by Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad in 2004.Finally, the market committee got approved another plan increasing the number of plots further in 2006 from the city government that issued an NOC with a clear directive that all rules mentioned in the Karachi Building and Town Planning Rules-2002 would be applicable, and the individual plans vis-à-vis the built-up and vacant units be got approved from the KBCA.

At present, the number of shops and sheds has gone up to 10,000, occupying many amenity plots and most of the parking space. Several shops have been built even on the 20-feet space along the boundary wall. The space allotted to chowkidars (the wardens who keep sold produce before it is transported to local markets) has also been encroached upon, while many dealers, who had paid decent amounts to get allotment 14 years back, are yet to be given possession. A cent per cent increase in the number of business stalls speaks volumes of irregularities and corrupt practices on part of the relevant authorities. Traders say that encroachers in connivance with the market committee are bent upon grabbing every bit of the available land.

The Market Committee

To regulate the sale and purchase of agriculture produce and for this purpose to establish wholesale markets with all basic facilities is the responsibility of the market committee under the Agriculture Produce Market Act, 1939.The market committee issues licences to dealers, commission agents, brokers, weigh men, surveyors, warehousemen, paladars and boriottas for carrying out their trade in the market after charging an annual fee. The committee can also renew, suspend or cancel such licences. To arrange open auction, supervise correct weight and timely payment of the agricultural produce; levy of fee on agricultural produce bought or sold in the notified market area as well as to fix and implement trade allowance in markets so that growers are not fleeced by middle men are other functions of the market committee.There are about 71 market committees in Sindh, each categorised into four classes according to their annual income. The Karachi Market Committee, which is placed in Class A, shall constitutionally comprise 18 members with 50 per cent representation of the growers. The committee’s chairman and vice-chairman should be elected from among the members. However, this is not the case at present as the provincial government dissolved all market committees in Sindh on Sept 23, 1990 and their affairs were entrusted to assistant directors of the bureau of supply and prices. The Karachi Market Committee was later put under the administrative control of the agriculture department’s extension wing and since November 1993 the committee has been run by government functionaries, most of the time under the supervision of an administrator. At present, the committee comprises 130 permanent staffers, all getting their salaries from the market committee fund.During the last few years, several secretaries of the market committees have been appointed and removed for different reasons. Sources said controversies in the agriculture department, which had developed two months back over the posting of an officer as market committee secretary because of corruption charges against him, settled down when he was replaced on May 7, 2008.Like the present administrator, the appointment of Abdul Rasheed Shaikh as secretary of the market committee was made under the caretaker set-up a few days before the general election despite several complaints of corruption and misuse of authority pending against him. He was also under investigation by the National Accountability Bureau and Anti-Corruption Establishment, sources said.Insiders say the market committee collects Rs60,000 everyday in fees and vehicle entry charges though traders quite easily put the actual charges paid to the committee daily in six figures.Traders say the solution to all these problems lies in setting up a market committee in compliance with the Agriculture Market Produce Act 1939-1940 comprising 18 members (nine growers, six fruit and vegetable dealers and three representatives of consumers) to run daily affairs of the market. The chairman and vice-chairman of the committee should be elected from among the members. In many other cities, such as Quetta, Lahore, Nawabshah and Sukkur, the market committees follow the Agriculture Act. When Sindh Agriculture Secretary Subhago Khan Jatoi was contacted for his version, his personal sectary told Dawn that he was busy in a meeting. Despite repeated attempts afterwards, he was not available for his comments on the issue.--HA