RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) on Thursday prepared a list of charges against all eight of its officials who were suspended after audit objections to illegal construction in the cantonment areas.

After the audit objections, RCB Cantonment Executive Officer Dr Saima Shah visited cantonment areas and found that buildings were constructed in violation of building bylaws in various areas under the RCB’s administrative control.

She found that owners of commercial buildings had built shops in basements allocated for parking, while some owners regularised illegal construction, while adding more rooms and shops in violation of regulations.

Building branch officials suspended over illegal construction, building branch offices sealed

Dr Shah directed Additional Cantonment Executive Officer Rana Rameez to take action against the building branch, following which he suspended eight officials, including building branch engineer Amir Khan, six inspectors and a draftsman.

To prevent tampering with documents, Mr Rameez also sealed building branch offices, and the offices and records room will be unsealed after an inquiry is carried out.

RCB spokesperson Qaisar Mehmood told Dawn that the charge sheet has been prepared against RCB officials to check embezzlement and for violating building bylaws.

He said that during her visit, Dr Shah found more than a hundred illegal constructions in the cantonment areas. He said she wanted to hold and inquiry and take action against the black sheep in the civic organisation.

He said inquiry officers would be appointed on Friday, and he would record the officials’ statements and check the records, after which it would be decided whether the anti-corruption establishment should be contacted or whether the officials should receive departmental punishment.

In response to a question, he said new officials in the building branch would be appointed soon after approval from the RCB’s elected board or the president.

Mr Rameez said the cantonment executive officer had the authority to appoint new officials, and she would take action in this regard. He said the records room would be unsealed soon after new officials are appointed in place of the suspended officials.

Another senior RCB official told Dawn that after action was taken against the building branch, elected RCB members began persuading RCB officials not to take serious action against the officials as this would give the organisation a bad name.

He said elected members last year had a resolution approved by the board that afforded leniency to those who had constructed buildings would building plan approvals and had regularised their building plans after paying large fines.

The official said building approvals work would be suspended for the next month, and all kinds of construction would be stopped in the cantonment areas.

He said people who have submitted their building plans have been asked to wait for approval.

Meanwhile, Saddar’s traders expressed concern about illegal construction in the city’s commercial hub, and urged the RCB to hold an inquiry into how high-rise buildings were constructed in Saddar in violation of the area’s master plan.

Cantonment Traders Association President Zafar Qadri told Dawn that an illegal commercial building was constructed on The Mall in front of the RCB offices and the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology, while the Paradise Hotel was being demolished on Adam Jee Road against building bylaws, but the civic body had tried to hide such illegal work.

He said the RCB’s action against “corrupt officials” was good work, but the body should also hold an inquiry into why buildings higher than four storeys were constructed without parking spaces.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2017