HYDERABAD, Sept 23: The Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit bench, on Tuesday directed the additional advocate general, Sindh, Masood A. Noorani, to ensure the attendance of the district coordination officer, Dadu; Taluka municipal officer of the Taluka Municipal Administration, Kotri; and Taluka officer of

the regulation and infrastructure, Taluka Municipal Administration, Kotri, in court on Sept 29.

The order was passed by Justice Amir Hani Muslim who took up the matter of piri tax (i.e. pushcarts tax) in Kotri.

He observed that this was a serious matter as public property was being disposed of in a manner impermissible by law.

The court had earlier directed the AAG to ensure the attendance of a responsible officer of the Municipal Committee, Kotri, on Tuesday.

A Taluka Municipal Administration official, Shaukat Ali Memon, attended the court and stated that he had taken the charge as Taluka Municipal official a few days back and was not acquainted with the procedure which the Municipal Committee adopts in leasing out properties or giving it on license under the piri tax.

The court directed him to bring the record and if necessary break open the lock in the presence of two responsible officers, make the inventory of the record, and produce it in the court on the next date of hearing.

It ordered that the record must reflect the piri tax/license and/or lease which the Municipal Committee, Kotri, had granted at times and the procedure which it adopted for the said purpose.

The Taluka Municipal official told the court that the Taluka official, Regulation, Nazeer Soomro, was the responsible officer who has gone to in connection with a meeting with the secretary, Local Government.

Considering the importance of the matter, Justice Muslim directed the AAG to procure attendance of the district coordination officer, Dadu; Taluka Municipal official, Kotri; Taluka official, Regulation and Infrastructure, to be present on Sept 29 as the question of disposal of public properties to private person by the Municipal Committee, Kotri, would be examined during the proceedings of the case so that in future the above misuse of powers should be restricted and government properties could be secured.