SUKKUR: The industrialist who has been asked to stop the work for the construction of an oil mill on a few plots already declared an ‘archaeological site’ in Sukkur, has refused to oblige the district administration and other relevant departments. He told the media on Monday that the construction work on the plots was going on without any disruption.

According to the district administration and the archaeology department, the industrialist, Mr Nooruddin, possessed no-objection certificates for the construction work that had been issued ‘by unauthorised officials’. It said only the provincial secretary of the culture or archaeology department was the competent authority.

The mill is being established on a part of a huge piece of land within the Sukkur Industrial and Trading Estate where some objects said to be belonging to an ancient civilisation like the one in Moenjodaro were discovered during some digging work. A big portion of the land was demarcated as the archaeological site and was named ‘Lakhin-Jo-Daro.

However, Mr Nooruddin says the few plots he owns were not part of the archaeological and, therefore, he was establishing his mill on these plots after obtaining NOCs from the relevant authorities.

Sukkur deputy commissioner instituted an in inquiry into the matter several months ago and got its report recently. The report suggested that the NOCs were issued by some unauthorised officials of the archaeology department and the Shah Abdul Latif University.

The DC held a meeting with Mr Nooruddin on Monday and discussed the findings of the inquiry with reference to a Supreme Court directive to protect and preserve all heritage sites.

After the meeting, Mr Nooruddin told the media that he also possessed an NOC for the construction work on his plots from the Sukkur deputy commissioner.

“The most startling fact is that the DC issued the NOC only 15 days ago,” he disclosed, and vowed to continue with his project.

Deputy Commissioner Tahir Shahzad Thaheem and Assistant Commissioner (New Taluka) Rana Tasawwar insisted that all NOCs issued by any official in respect of the archaeological site stood cancelled as the competent authority, the provincial secretary, had never issued such an NOC.

He said the issue could not be settled today as several officials concerned did not turn up at the meeting held in his office.

Meanwhile, Sukkur SITE managing director Nazar Muhammad Bozdar, who attended the meeting, immediately issued directives to his subordinates to cancel the NOC issued to Mr Nooruddin by his office.

Mr Bozdar told the media that the chief engineer concerned and other officials had been asked to visit the site and get the construction work stopped.

According to sources, a team of surveyors comprising archaeology experts from Khairpur is expected to visit Lakhin-Jo-Daro soon.

Published in Dawn, November 25th , 2014