LAHORE: Nankana Sahib district administration has informed the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) of reckless encroachment of its lands, seeking a comprehensive plan to check such activities going on in connivance with the board’s local officials.

“The pace of encroachments on the Evacuee Trust Property Board lands has quickened to the extent that a whole new town seems to have emerged on its land in the last six months,” writes the deputy commissioner to the board officials.

The letter (HC(G)/376 dated 22-02-2018) says that a comprehensive anti-encroachments plan was launched in the city in 2015 and all illegal structures were raised to ground. After lapse of some time, the local officials of the ETPB again allowed constructions by “taking illegal gratification.”

“This office has noted the gravity of the situation and duly communicated (it) to the board, but to no avail so far. It is advised that an instant plan be devised immediately to rectify the situation and an anti-encroachment operation be launched.”

“The ETPB has miserably failed to fulfill its responsibility as custodian of its lands as more and more lands are being occupied by illegal encroachers, who, ironically, are doing it under the supervision and (with the) consent of officials and officers of the board.”

Board’s body rues illegal construction, digging by NHA

The letter says the local officials of the boar have been informed of the situation on telephone and told to save the ETPB land. Simultaneously, the ETPB had also set up an inquiry committee to assess the situation and the two-member body endorsed the DC’s apprehensions.

In its report, the committee also pointed out other encroachments – even by the National Highway Authority (NHA), which is constructing a motorway in the area, besides illegal excavation of the ETPB lands.

“It was informed that an area of approximately three acres was encroached upon by the National

Highway Authority, which is building a rest and recreation area on the motorway. When a local official

was asked (about the issue), he claimed to have written both to the secretary of the board in January 2018 and to the NHA high-ups as well, but no action was taken,” says the inquiry report.

This was in addition to around 12 acres land where 10-foot deep digging was carried out for the construction of motorway.

“When a local official of the board was called, he maintained that the excavation was old one and happened during the tenure of the previous official. However, the inquiry committee, during a visit to the site, found out that the excavation was not only fresh but was (even) being carried out during the visit.”

These illegalities -- encroachment and illegal digging -- were committed at Mat Kalian village in the south of motorway.

The committee also noted that fresh construction was also going on in eight other areas -- Warburton Road, Madina Town, Karmanwala Kot, Buchiana Road, Mochi Town, Mangtanwala Road, Mohalla Bal Lilla and Shahkot Road.

“On seeing the inquiry committee, masons and labourers tried to slip away. Pictures of ongoing and freshly completed constructions and raised earth level were taken from the site. Nobody (including the district officer or anti-encroachment staff) was found anywhere during the visit to interfere in the illegal activity,” concludes the inquiry report.

According to the ETPB officials, the estimated loss caused to the board because of the illegal excavation is around Rs120 million. They also say that around 17,000 acres of evacuee property face an encroachment threat in the area.

Published in Dawn, March 10th, 2018