LAHORE, Jan 8: An immediate ban has been imposed on sale and renewal of lease of state land in Punjab to prevent its doling out, and a proposal for giving it for lease on a yearly basis through auction has been submitted for the approval of chief minister.

A decision to ban the sale of state land was taken at a meeting presided over revenue minister Gul Hamid Rokhari and colonies minister Manazar Ali Ranjha here on Sunday. Board of Revenue senior member Safdar Javed Syed, member (colonies) Tariq Yousaf, colonies secretary and other officials attended.

It was pointed out at the meeting that 280,648 acre state land was under unauthorized occupation out of a total 11,896,431 acres. The land under unauthorized occupation was worth Rs56 billion. An amendment to the Colonies Act 1912 had been proposed for retrieving the land under unauthorized possession. Renewal of the lease of the land had also been stopped.

It was also decided to allot 188,992 five-marla plots to the homeless poor under the chief minister’s housing programme. As many as 36,222 plots would be allotted in Jhang, Sargodha, Rahim Yar Khan, Chakwal and Mianwali during the first phase. The revenue minister ordered making of arrangements for allotment by March 30.

The colonies minister said arrangements for the allotment of 12.5 acre tracts of land to landless farmers were complete. Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi would give away the ownership deeds to farmers after June 30.commission: Commission for peace and human development has urged the government to empower the National Commission on Status of Women (NCSW) and implement its recommendations concerning the repeal of Hudood ordinance.

Welcoming the appointment of Dr Arifa Syeda Zehra as the NCSW chairperson, commission executive-director Waseem Anthony said in a statement that the government should also nominate its members so that it could start holding its meetings. The government should give autonomy to the commission so that it could work for protection of women rights instead of continuing making only recommendations.

Commenting on the statement of adviser to prime minister Nilofar Bakhtiar that the Hudood ordinance was being repealed, he said the NCSW had also recommended repeal of the controversial law since long. The people were waiting for the implementation of its recommendation instead of promises and statements.