HYDERABAD: The Nara Jail administration seems to be not ready to give up any portion of its 87-07 acres to settle its dispute with the Hyderabad SITE management.
Considerable progress has been made over the last few months to bring the two sides to an amicable settlement but without a positive outcome so far.
The affected industrialists, having their units within the area for nearly 23 years, are in a fix as the jail administration appeared reluctant to ink an agreement even after a joint land demarcation having been carried out.
The matter is currently pending action by Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, who told Dawn over phone that he would go through the relevant report and consult both sides to decide the issue amicably.
District administration’s year-long efforts achieved significant progress but affected industrialists still wait for relief
Hyderabad Deputy Commissioner Zainul Abedin Memon has confirmed that he had presented his report to the commissioner in Sept for onward submission to the chief secretary.
The jail administration insists that functioning industries and industrial plots form part of the prison’s land — a claim the SITE management strongly contests. The SITE management says that the matter had become a ‘closed transaction’ in view of a 12-year-old memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two government entities on the very land, as well as the past demarcations done on the jail administration’s requests.
The dispute arose in October 2025 when the jail administration started construction of a boundary wall and the SITE management raised objection and claimed ownership of the land. The district administration intervened into the matter and got the work stopped.
DC Memon examined the land ownership, possession, demarcation and boundary alignment of the area, falling within the Latifabad Taluka.
His findings revealed that the total land measures 87-07 acres — bearing survey numbers 42, 43, 47, 48, 49 and 50; 53 to 58, and 168 — and it is owned by the ‘Sindh King Jail’ (or the Special Prison Nara) in the revenue record.
The DC’s Sept 2, 2026 report, submitted to the chief secretary through the Hyderabad commissioner, which is available with Dawn, refers to the MoU signed in 2008. Under the memorandum, the two sides agree to their respective positions / boundaries. The DC held a meeting with the DIG of prisons and SITE management which decided to carry out a joint demarcation, which was done by the director of settlement survey’s technical team on Oct 14, 2025.
The SITE management produced the MoU, mentioning that the Survey No. 46, which covers 4-30 acres and Survey No. 168, having 5-03 acres belongs to it (SITE) but remained under physical possession of the Nara Jail. “Conversely, 5-acres of land claimed as Nara prison’s is found in SITE’s possession,” according to the report, which states that both sides agree to surrender their claims over interchanged portions. The MoU and demarcation plan were signed by both sides, it adds. The DC said that “despite above arrangement, the Nara prison authorities refused to acknowledge the previously signed MoU and demarcation plan,” according to the report. Nevertheless, technical demarcation process was completed for identifying the land and physical possession pertaining to the Nara Jail, it mentions.
According to the DC’s report, out of the 87-07 acres, 69-30 acres are in the jail’s possession; 2-34 acres of the prison’s land is under an irrigation dyke; 8-11 acres under SITE’s possession; 1-29 acres in the possession of different persons, occupants of houses and industrial units; and 4-16 acres are under the Phulelli canal.
Likewise, the joint survey identifies 6-4 acres as SITE’s land falling in Survey Nos. 46 and 168 which are in the physical possession of the Nara Jail. The differential of land figures shows that 8-1 acres of prison’s land remained with SITE and 6-4 acres of SITE’s land is under the use of the jail, showing 2-7 acres of excess land that warrants settlement through interchange / exchange of physical possession, rather than a simple case of unilateral encroachment.
The 8-11 acres of prison land was with SITE department where old industrial structures exist (functioning industry) as it was leased by SITE to factory owners, bona fide plot purchasers and other interested third parties. “These units are contributing to public revenue and occupants have produced registered lease documents,” says the DC’s report.
It recommended that competent authority may consider mutual adjustment, exchange or regularisation of respective possession. It says that the existing industrial establishments should be protected and should not be disturbed.
“The main gate and access of Nara Jail falls within or traverse Survey No. 46 which is SITE’s land, therefore, the prison administration may erect a boundary wall on the existing possession as reflected in the demarcation report,” it says.
The DC recommended a meeting to be convened under the chairmanship of the senior member Board of Revenue with the Hyderabad commissioner, DC, DIG prisons, Nara jail chief, SITE MD and director settlement survey. The purpose should be to approve a single mutually accepted boundary and possession plan that would ensure legal utilisation of the government land, the DC maintained.
Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2026
