Bahria Town Karachi Imposes 35% Additional Development Charges
After forcefully demanding members to take possessions of their plots, Bahria Town Karachi has come up with a patently absurd policy to levy 35% additional development charges on all properties booked before February 2014. These include old plots, homes and apartments that were launched in the first bookings of Bahria Town Karachi.
It is utterly immoral on part of Bahria Town to demand extra money from those who have already paid their due amount in full. Many have even taken possession of their properties after paying extra money as possession and utility charges, and there is no justification to impose such heavy charges in the name of development charges.
The 35% additional development charges will be applicable from 15th of February, 2020, and the amount will be payable in 20 quarterly installments over a period of 5 years. The additional amount will show up in statements of all old properties from January 2020.
For example, the booking price of 125 sqy plot was 17.25 lacs, so additional development charges would be 603750/- (6 lacs approx), so quarterly installment will be nearly 30,000 after each 3 months.
Here is a copy of the letter sent to members from Bahria Town:
This new development has caused an uproar on social media. Majority of members have rejected this extortion and a few have even started filing complaints against Bahria Town on Prime Minister’s Complaint Cell, as well as Supreme Court Karachi Registry.
The applicants are raising two main concerns:
- Forcefully demanding members to take possessions
- Imposition of additional development charges
Since Bahria Town Karachi doesn’t have ownership of the land, and the land will be leased by MDA after completion of decided payment to Supreme Court, Bahria town has no authority to force members to take possession of their plots.
Moreover, Bahria Town lies at a long distance from City. There are scant facilities for education, health, business, and transportation available in that area, therefore people cannot be forced to build their houses until all facilities have been provided.
Also, the additional development charges cannot be applied to those blocks which have already been developed. Bahria Town has already developed roads and infrastructure of old blocks, so there is no justification to demand additional development charges.
Bahria Town has given deadline of 15th January 2020 to apply for possession of developed plots. After this deadline, Bahria Town will impose 1 lac rupees as penalty per month for next 3 months. After 3 months, Bahria Town will change location of your plot to some non-developed block and allot your developed plot to someone else.
As we know that Bahria Town is in need of money to pay for land in Karachi project, it is using all tactics to squeeze money out of the members. It is recommended to apply for possession of your plots/villas/apartments before the given deadline in order to avoid any untoward consequences.
Regarding 35% additional development charges, you can join with other members to file complaints against this extortion and we hope that Supreme Court will take up this issue to relieve general public.
