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KARACHI, July 23: The 2002 amendment to the Sindh Tenancy Act 1950 contains sufficient safeguards to protect the interests of both tenants and landlords but the problem lies in the implementation, which is a function of the board of revenue.
This was the general observation of growers’ representatives at a special committee of the Sindh Assembly re-constituted in the budget session by the speaker, Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah, to review and amend the Sindh Tenancy Act.
Monday’s meeting, which was presided over by chairman Anwar Mehar and held in the committee room of the Sindh Assembly building, was the body’s second consultation after its formation in June.
In addition to the committee members, the president of the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture, Syed Qamaruzzaman Shah, agriculture expert Khair Mohammed Junejo and Abdul Majid Nizamani attended the meeting on invitation and gave briefings on growers’ reservations.
However, since no tenants’ representative was present, the committee fixed Aug 2 as the date for another meeting and resolved to invite spokespersons with knowledge of tenants’ reservations.
Meanwhile, the meeting asked growers’ representatives to bring in writing suggestions for the improvement of relations between growers and tenants.
Mr Junejo told Dawn that the amended act contains the provision of a one-man “mukhtarkar tribunal” to adjudicate disputes between growers and tenants. The problem, he said, was that the mukhtarkar has little time to hold hearings and decide the case promptly. Secondly, he pointed out, complaints could also arise against the mukhtarkar or the patwari. He therefore suggested that the tribunal should be expanded to three members representing the parties concerned, and be headed by a judicial magistrate.
A member of the committee, Jam Mehtab, observed that “we have entered a new century but are yet to determine the relationship between the landlord and the tenant.” Responding to a question, Mr Mehtab said that the committee had not been able to deliberate upon the amended Sindh Tenancy Act 2002 in Monday’s meeting since copies had not been provided early. Therefore, he said, it was decided that the act would be discussed section by section in the meeting.
In addition to a senior member of the Board of Revenue, Anwar Haider, Monday’s meeting was also attended by Mir Amanullah Khan Talpur, Haji Munawwar Ali Abbasi, Syed Ali Mardan Shah and Begum Sharfun Nisa Leghari.
