July 09, 2007	Monday	Jamadi-us-Sani 23, 1428

LAYYAH, July 8: The Layyah housing and physical planning deputy director has filed a suit seeking cancellation of illegal allotment of government’s commercial land to a third party people, Dawn reveals. The Layyah district officer of revenue (DOR) allegedly allotted 10 commercial acres to some private people. Executive District Officer (revenue) Ghulam Akhtar Khhichi will hear the case on July 24.

The government set up a Thal Development Authority Board (TDA) under the Parliamentary Act of 1949. The TDA acquired 3,208 acres in Sumra Thal Jaldi mauza through several notifications from 1951 to 1955. The TDA adopted a resolution on September 30, 1960, allocating 1,825 acres for the Layyah Mandi Town.

The town’s land was transferred to the Housing and Planning Department through a notification F20 (4) H&S-70 on February 3, 1971. The hosing department paid Rs229 million to the TDA on February 23, 1976, for the land.

The Revenue Department transferred the land to the housing department on Jan 3, 1985. The housing department reserved the land for schemes like educational institutions, a hospital, a grain market, a community centre, greenbelts and houses.

But, the DOR passed an adjustment order on October 19, 2006, to transfer 10 acres with khasra No 150/6/5, 151/6, 167/10-9, 168/1-2-3-4-7-8-9-10 and 169/1-2-3-4-5 to Muhammad Hayat and others on political pressure.

The official did not get any approval from any trial or high courts for transferring the housing department’s land to others. According to the policy of the Punjab Board of Revenue, the government’s land cannot be transferred to any third party without the orders of a competent authority.

The housing department is the custodian of the land and the land is meant for the housing scheme.

The housing department prayed in the suit the DOR allotted the land without hearing them. The land allotted to the third party is located along the United Bank Limited branch, in front of Wahdat Colony and near the Government Girls’ College. Its location makes the land precious.

Sardar Ghulam Fareed Khan Merani, former district council chairman, demanded the governor hold an inquiry into the matter to fix the responsibility.