HARIPUR: The mutation of land together with construction for domestic and commercial purposes has come to a standstill in the four union councils of Haripur district due to the imposition of the condition to obtain NOC for construction from the forest department.

The landowners told Dawn that the office of Khanpur tehsildar and his revenue staff had informed them about the NOC condition for land mutation.

They said the four union councils bordering Islamabad and having thick forestland and Galiyat-like weather conditions were a hub of commercial and construction activities a few months ago.

According to official sources, the forestry environment and wildlife department had formally asked the deputy commissioner of Haripur on March 13, 2020, to stop honouring land mutations in Makhniyal without the NOC issued by the forest department. The move comes on the recommendations of an inquiry committee formed by the chief conservator of forests (Central and South Forests Region-I, Peshawar).

Landowners say revenue, forest depts exploiting them

According to the committee’s findings, the Guzara forest in Makhniyal area was being encroached upon and used for illegal construction.

Local landlord Col Ahmed Yar Jang Durrani said construction activities even on the land owned by villagers came to a halt in Jabri, Barkot, Hally and Muslimabad union councils.

“The forest department has nothing to do with the land. What they are supposed to do is to grow and protect the reserved forestland and trees. All other matters are the domain of the revenue department,” he said.

He said after the imposition of the NOC condition, both revenue and forest departments had started exploiting landowners, while the suspension of land mutation activities had badly affected the union councils of Haripur. Villager from Kotla Nazar Mohammad said after the imposition of the NOC condition, the ‘land mafia’ had begun purchasing land from the poor people on stamp papers at throwaway rates.

When contacted, deputy commissioner Nadeem Nasir confirmed the forest department’s communication regarding NOC condition.

He, however, said since there was no demarcation of Guzara forest in the Makhniyal area, the NOC condition had no legal standing. The DC said the tehsil municipal administration and Galiyat Development Authority were the proper forums to be approached and asked to ensure implementation of building bylaws and obtaining NOC from the Forest department rather than landowners.

He also recommended proper demarcation of Guzara land in Makhniyal area.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2020