HYDERABAD, Oct 1: Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit bench, has deplored the sorry state of affairs in Kotri municipality where assets have been sold out under the garb of renting or leasing them.

These observations were made by Justice Amir Hani Muslim of the SHC here the other day during the hearing of a revision appeal regarding the grant of a licence for a cattle market in Kotri.

Dadu DCO with Sindh additional accountant general Masood A.Noorani, taluka municipal officer Shaukat Ali Memon and taluka regulation officer Nazeer Hussain Soomro attended the court in response to court directives.

The DCO said that he had no clear picture of the issue.

The court noted during the examination of record that property in dispute was a plot located on survey-176 and there was an entry in the municipal register in which Bhawanmal was shown as a tenant.

The court observed that the register also distorted the actual position as it was a footpath which was unauthorizedly rented out on permanent basis.

The Kotri municipal authorities could not rent out a footpath, the court remarked.

The taluka infrastructure officer, who is also holding the additional charge of the taluka municipal officer, was also not in a position to give details of the assets of the municipality and as to what properties had been rented or leased out to private persons.

The court directed the TOs of infrastructure and regulations to submit the list of properties of the municipality and its tenants and the plans of construction they had approved during their tenure.

The officers were also directed to identify properties, rented out to private persons where construction was raised.

Justice Hani observed that the entries at best could be treated as license and even such a license could not be granted to any person for the possession of a footpath or any other place considered public amenity.

He directed DCO to ensure the compliance of the order.