KARACHI, Dec 30: The Sindh Board of Revenue (SBR) recovered Rs1952.115 million on account of regularisation of 3047.07 acres of land allotted illegally at throwaway prices during 1985 to 2005.

According to the figures released by the Land Utilisation Committee of the SBR, the amount was recovered between January 2000 and September 2006. Some 437 land cases were regularised.

The spokesman for the committee told Dawn on Friday that the land was allotted during 1985 to 2000 after relaxation of rules and without holding a proper auction. The land also included vast tracts of land which were forbidden for allotment.

He said all such allotments were cancelled through an ordinance, Sindh Government Lands (cancellation of allotments, conversion and exchange Ordinance 2001.

The government later set up a committee under a retired judge of the High Court for regularisation of such plots of land. The committee's job was to determine the market price of land prevailing at the time of allotment in each case and ask the owners to pay the differential amount to get their allotments reinstated.

Most of such land was given at throw-away prices to the cronies as political bribes by the former chief ministers Jam Sadiq and Abdullah Shah.

Giving details of allotment of land during the present government, the spokesman of Land Utilisation Committee said that 10,000 acres had been allotted for Education City in an area spread between the National Highway and Super Highway. All major universities, as well as hospitals, including the Sindh Institute of Urology of Dr. Adeeb Rizvi have been given plots in the area.

Similarly, 12,000 acres has been allotted for a Defence Housing Society to DHA on Super Highway before the Nooriabad Industrial Estate.

About 20-25 acres has been allotted to industrial projects on the condition that they would complete the project in two years after which the land would be forfeited after one year extension.

Under the new land policy, industrial land has been given at 25 per cent of the market price and the land for education and health purposes at 15 per cent of the market price.

The spokesman said due to shortage of urban land, new allotments through normal procedure had been stopped and the chief minister has been given powers to make allotment in special cases only.

Meanwhile, the Association of Builders and Developers has criticised the pace of regularisation of 'frozen' plots which have since long taken shape of residential blocks and houses.

Abad chairman Hafeezur Rahman Butt told Dawn that only 30 per cent cases had been regularised in the last three years.

Mr Butt described the procedure of regularisation of allotments a punishment to the citizens who had no fault in lands allotted illegally to the favourites by the former CMs. They completed all formalities for purchasing such land and constructed houses on them after getting plans approved by the legitimate authorities after paying due fees.

The Abad chief pointed out that Sindh was the only province where land allotted in the past had been cancelled and re-allotted after extorting more money from the owners. In Punjab, NWFP and Balochistan no allotment of land granted was cancelled.