FAISALABAD, June 4: The six tehsil municipal administrations in the district and the revenue department officials are at a variance with each other about the issuance of NOCs to the some developers for the establishment of residential colonies on private lands.

A district government official told this correspondent on the condition of anonymity that a number of developers were setting up private housing colonies in the city and its rural areas' agricultural and other lands without getting their status converted into commercial lands. They were allegedly greasing the palms of the TMA officials.

Receiving complaints about the illegal business, the EDO (revenue) had recently directed the TMAs not to issue NoCs to any of the private residential housing scheme without the revenue department's permission.

He noted with concern that private housing schemes were being developed in the district without any clearance from the revenue department as required under Para-550 of the Punjab Colony Manual.

"A developer intending to establish a residential colony of his private agricultural land is not permitted to do so without payment of royalty to the Punjab government and having the land status changed from agricultural to residential/commercial in the revenue record," according to the manual.

The EDO directed the TMAs to ask the developers to approach the revenue office for appropriate entries in the record. He also requested the district officer (revenue) to direct the field staff not to issue any demarcation or indicate change of status of land without clearance from the office.

On the other hand, the TMAs have refused to follow the instructions of the revenue department and are still issuing the NOCs to the private developers, saying it is their right under the Punjab Local Government Ordinance 2001 to generate funds from their respective revenue limits.

Sources said the municipal administrations had also planned to approach the provincial government to seek guidance whether the NOC of the revenue department was mandatory before the issuance of a certificate by the tehsil councils to the private developers.

It is pertinent to mention that there are over 200 privately developed residential colonies in the district where plots were being sold by the developers without fulfilling the codal requirements and getting NOCs from the authorities concerned.

The Faisalabad Development Authority and the TMAs of City, Saddar, Chak Jhumra, Jaranwala, Samundri and Tandlianwala have failed to ensure provisions of basic facilities at the private housing colonies and payment of fees to the government.