HYDERABAD, July 31: Former district nazim Makhdoom Rafiquzzaman and officials of the Hyderabad Development Authority and Building Control Department are likely to face an inquiry by the Sindh Local Government Commission for conversion of a 1,100 square yards plot on the Fatima Jinnah road (Thadi Sarak) for a CNG filling station.

A ministry source told Dawn on Sunday that the inquiry had been approved by the Sindh cabinet in its recent meeting.

The convenor of the defunct district council, Nawab Rashid Ali Khan, had formed a six-member committee for probe into allotment of government land by the HDA for petrol pump after the matter was raised in the council by Yousuf Qureshi.

During the course of inquiry, the committee expressed its dissatisfaction over documents, presented by DG HDA Tahir Ahmed before it in October last year, noting violation of rules and regulations.

The committee observed that no permission or approval was sought from the district or Sindh government regarding the plot which was part of land of civic centre constructed by the HDA.

A building control department source said in fact five more blocks of the civic centre were to be constructed but only one block was built and 1,100 square yards was part of the land, allotted for civic centre by the military authorities.

He said the civic centre land was property of the HDA but since it was located in the Cantonment Board Hyderabad limits, an approval of map was sought from the CBH.

The HDA secretary, through a letter, had informed the district council that a strip of 250’x40’ of barren land of the civic centre was allotted to Brig (rtd) Ghulam Rasool Memon by then DG HDA Mishraz Ahmed Siddiqui on the rental basis for establishment of nursery by following HMC’s rules at Rs1100 per month till June 30, 2005. The DCO Hyderabad accepted the proposal and recommendation for installation of a petrol pump for 30 years in favour of Brig Memon for Rs18,000 per month.

The district nazim approved higher offer of Rs65,000 per month for five years in favour of Mehdi K. Lavji provided he would get the plot vacated on his own from possession of the first tenant.

The HDA secretary said it was in fact case of enhancement of rent and not disposal of land.

The committee observed that required procedure was not adopted by the HDA and the district nazim.

It said neither any offer was sought through advertisement from the people nor any approval was given by the district or the Sindh government as per the Sindh Local Government Ordinance.

The CBH had authorized establishment of water reservoirs on the land which had accordingly been built but the said strip of land remained un-utilized.

Official sources said actually the land was being given on the rental basis for CNG station for Rs60,000 to Rs65,000 per month rent on a five year agreement which could be renewed or cancelled by the HDA.

They said the CBH had even called for payment of commercialization fee for the plot given the fact that it was commercialized when a nursery was established there.

It was learnt that the CBH authorities had taken up the matter with the Sindh government for proper inquiry.

The director-general of the HDA, Tahir Ahmed, former DG Ali Ahmed Lund and Building Control Director Masood Jumani are likely to face inquiry in the matter besides the nazim.

The former nazim could not be contacted for comments.