KARACHI  -  Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab, has announced that the markets run by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation will be converted to solar energy systems.  The Mayor Karachi said this while chairing a meeting of a meeting of the KMC Estate Department on Friday.

He said that the first phase of this initiative will begin with the Bahadur Shah Zafar Market located on M.A. Jinnah Road, and gradually, other markets under KMC’s management will also be transitioned to solar energy. Additionally, efforts will be made to improve both the external and internal conditions of these markets. The record for shops and other transactions, including the issuance of challans, will be computerized.

On this occasion, Municipal Commissioner KMC, Afzal Zidi, and officials from the Estate Department were also present.  During the meeting, Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab reviewed a detailed briefing regarding the revenue collection targets for the current financial year. He directed that the Estate Department must meet the revenue targets for 2024 and 2025. For the fiscal year 2023-24, the revenue target was set at 290 million rupees, while for 2025, the target has been raised to 315 million rupees.

The Mayor Karachi further instructed that the rent of shops in KMC markets, which currently have an 11-month lease, should be increased based on the market value. The records for Bahadur Shah Zafar Market, Machhi Miani Market, Mohammad Ali Hoti Market, and Empress Market should be computerized, and gradually, the records for all other markets should also be computerized, he said.

He emphasized that there are more than 9,000 shops in KMC’s markets, but the rents are significantly low. Since these markets are located in prime locations it is essential to increase revenue from rents. He also directed that all records related to shops and other transactions in Empress Market be computerized within the next 20 days to ensure that no alterations can be made to the records. Challans for shop payments should also be issued digitally.

Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab also highlighted the issue of the lack of public toilets in the city, which is causing severe problems for citizens, especially women and the elderly. Therefore, it is crucial to establish public toilets at various locations in the city.  In this regard, the Director of the Estate Department was instructed to begin work on setting up KMC kiosks at key locations on major roads such as Shahrah-e-Faisal, M.A. Jinnah Road, I.I. Chundrigar Road, and Shahrah e  Pakistan. These kiosks will provide washrooms, seating areas, and offer tea, coffee, and other food items for the convenience of citizens.