GUJRANWALA: On the request of the Gujranwala Development Authority (GDA), the deputy commissioner has banned issue of land ownership deeds and registration, mutation and transfer of plots in illegal private housing societies and land sub-divisions falling in Gujranwala district.

The revenue department blocked the record of the revenue of 33 illegal housing schemes and 256 land sub-divisions. The situation has frustrated the people.

Maisam Abbas and Muhammad Ashraf, who came to a land record centre to get the land deed, told Dawn that even though they did not buy a plot in any housing scheme but they were told that their property record had been blocked and fard would not be issued to them.

Ghulam Murtaza, Sajjad Ahmad and others said they had paid the full price of plots in different societies but they were not able to get the ownership. They demanded that high officials resolve the issue.

GDA Director General Maqbool Ahmad Majoka said owners of 33 illegal housing societies and 256 land sub-divisions were sealing plots without any no-objection certificate and that was why the GDA started operation and sealed the officer and demolished other relevant buildings.

Despite the ban, develops are offering sale deeds of plots in illegal housing schemes looting the general public. Therefore, the list of 33 illegal housing schemes and illegal land sub-divisions had been forwarded to the DC office for the imposition of a complete ban on land transfer mutation.

City Land Record Centre’s Naveed Iqbal and in charge of computer center Aamir Shareef Ghumman said that on the directions of the DC, the record of 33 housing societies and 256 land sub-divisions had been blocked.

WASTE: The staff of the Waste Management Company handed over garbage containers on an unannounced contract to contractors.

They have started collecting thousands of rupees from scrape dealers for collecting junk.

Civic circles have demanded Deputy Commissioner Sohail Ahmad Khwaja and Waste Management Company head Atiqur Rehman take notice of the matter.

ROBBERY: Three gunmen entered a factory on the pretext of checking close circuit cameras and looted Rs1.4 million from the factory owner, four mobile phones, a motorcycle, and a digital video recorder (DVR) and fled.

Khwaja Saad, of Wapda Town, Gujranwala, was present at his factory, Gold Food, at Main Bazaar, Gulzar Colony, Khayali, when the gunmen said they been sent by ASI Azam to check surveillance cameras.

ARRESTED: The Hafizabad police arrested a suspect who posed to be an employee of a sensitive authority and got protocol from the different district police officers.

An FIR was registered against the suspect who has done similar tricks in Sialkot earlier.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2021