JHANG, Dec 8: The Punjab Board of Revenue (BoR) has started a probe into the alleged illegal construction of a ‘Patwarkhana’ (an office for revenue officials) on public estate of prime location near Islamia High School, Sadar, on Bhakkar Road.

The BoR secretary visited the site along with the executive district officer (revenue) on Thursday and found that three rooms had been built there, while work on the building was in progress. He ordered stopping the construction until the inquiry was completed.

Local estate dealers have valued the land at Rs25 to Rs30 million.

Raiz Husain Shah, a journalist, had written to the senior BoR member about the matter when construction work on the building started some one-and-a-half month ago.

A BoR official requesting anonymity told Dawn that the construction of Patwarkhana on such a precious state land without the prior permission of the BoR or without getting it auctioned was an attempt by tehsil officials to grab the land.

Revenue EDO Malik Mohammad Fazil said an action would be taken against the culprits after the inquiry was completed.

FAREWELL: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is hosting a farewell dinner in the honour of its outgoing Punjab secretary-general, Rana Aftab Ahmad, on Saturday at the residence of district president Qazi Ali Husain in Chiniot.