KOHAT: The dwellers of Gandiali Town here have accused the revenue department officials, particularly Patwaris, of taking bribes from them for allowing constructions.

Rahib Noor, chairman of the action committee, Gandiali Bala, told reporters on Tuesday that the provincial government had enforced Section 4 four years ago, banning all types of construction despite the fact that the people owned the land for 350 years.

He said the government after partition retained the British decree declaring the 12,000 kanals of land as its property after the 1878 war as punishment, and did not transfer the land to locals.

Rahib Noor said the residents were not even permitted to construct a room inside their houses.

He said the patwaris stopped construction outside or inside the houses threatening legal action, and demanded bribes for allowing constructions.

He said the government had also constructed some official buildings on their land despite the people’s protests.

OFFAL REMOVAL PLAN: The Water Supply and Sanitation Company has made a comprehensive plan for removal of offal of sacrificial animals during Eidul Azha.

This was disclosed by adviser to the chief minister on information technology, MPA Ziaullah Bnagash, while addressing a press conference on Tuesday.

He said to dispose of the animal waste a ditch about 3,260 cubic meters had been dug at a dumping site.

He was accompanied by WSSC manager operations and planning Naeem Ahmed and other officials of the company.

The WSSC officials said 352 staffers would be deputed to keep the areas clean during Eid, adding 205 collection points had been set up for collecting the waste through 78 small and big vehicles.

Mr Bangash said 10,000 biodegradable bags would be distributed among people in each district for putting offal in them.

OPEN KUTCHERY: FBR Commissioner for Dera Ismail Khan Zone Irfaz Aziz held an online open kutchery at his seat in Kohat on Tuesday to allay fears of tax defaulters and bring them into the tax net.

Assistant commissioner, Kohat, Iqbal Noor, assistant commissioner Misbahuddin, assistant commissioner, Bannu, Javed Iqbal, assistant commissioner, Hangu, Mohammad Najam, and president of Kohat Chamber of Commerce and Industry Haji Rasheed Paracha attended the video link-based forum.

The officials took questions from overseas Pakistanis and the businessmen for bringing reforms in the tax collection system.

Many problems were resolved on the spot.

The FBR official said purpose of such meetings was to remove fears and shyness of the tax defaulters and to bring them in the tax net to help strengthen the economy.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2020