PESHAWAR, June 16: An 11-member committee of the City District Council has started investigation into the sale of prime land in the posh Hayatabad township at lower than market prices and award of contracts by the City Development and Municipal Department (CDMD). At its first meeting on Thursday, the committee asked the CDMD officials to provide record of the land sold to private parties, contracts and appointments.

General Manager Tariq Mahmood and other CDMD officials assured the committee, headed by Nazim Riaz Baacha, that record would be presented in the next meeting. The CDMD recently auctioned two plots – one measuring 35 kanal and the other 18 kanal — to private parties for construction of multi-storey residential and commercial buildings in Hayatabad.

Mr Baacha said the CDMD had auctioned the land at the rate of Rs2.4 million per kanal while the market price was more than Rs10 million per kanal.

CDMD Director-General Sareer Khan said the land had been sold at the rate of Rs2.9 million.

The district council had constituted the inquiry committee following reports that irregularities had been committed in the award of contracts worth millions.

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