LAHORE: Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) secretary Farid Iqbal has directed the officers concerned to complete the process of assessing the rent of its land at market rates at the earliest.

“Strict action will be taken against those who occupy trust properties,” he said at a meeting to review the performance of zonal administrators and district officers here on Wednesday.

He said training would be given to district officers and staff to increase the department’s income and improve its performance.

The secretary issued instructions to all district officials, saying that strict action should be taken against illegal occupants and facilitators to protect the trust land and increase the department’s income, and recovery from the defaulters of the department and 100 per cent payment of bills on a monthly basis should be ensured.

Mr Iqbal said the valuable land of the department should be developed while as per the orders of the Supreme Court the process of assessing the rent of the land at market rates should be completed as soon as possible.

Operations have been carried out against illegal occupants in Lahore, Nankana Sahib, Sahiwal, Pakpattan, Karachi and other districts and trust land has been recovered.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2025