GUJRANWALA, Oct 2: The land of about 60 shrines and mosques under the control of Auqaf department is occupied by the land mafia in collusion with the officials and the trustees.

It was stated in a report of local fund audit issued here on Monday.

According to the report, 885 kanals of shrine of Boota Shah in Behari Chattha, is in control of landlords. Its rent is very low but the occupants are not ready to pay it which has accumulated to Rs800,000. Similarly, 286 kanals of shrine of Shah Jamal in Pindi Bhattian, 220 kanals of Bhullay Shah in Nagray, 106 kanals of Shah Sikandar, 56 kanals of Hazrat Shahow Shah, Wazirabad, shops and land of Chaman Shah, 57 kanals of a mosque in Gondlanwala and 29 kanals of Masjid Abdul Razzaq in the same village are in possession of land mafia.

The report said that Muhammad Ishaq sold earth from the land for Rs5million. The education department built a high school for boys at Emanabad but never paid any rent.

According to the report the rent rates in various areas is Rs2 per marla.

It said the land mafia started their activities in 1978 with the backing of some political ‘powers’.

However, the Auqaf authorities said stern action would be taken against the people involved in irregularities.

CDGG resources: At least four town administrations resent the city government’s take over of their financial resources which has left the elected representatives with ‘meager’ uplift funds.

The main sources of income of the four towns of Aroop, Khiali Shahpur, Nandipur and Qila Dedar Singh included adda fee from general bus-stand, parking fee, building map fee, advertising fee and industrial zone fee. Besides take over of these resources by the city district government, the monthly grant for the towns had also been reportedly reduced to Rs2.5 million from Rs5 million.

According to sources, almost all nazims, naib-nazims and councillors of these four towns are unhappy over the situation.

The source said that since the division of city and Saddar tehsils into four towns, despite opposition of the people living there, the system was not working smoothly.

On the contrary, Kamoki, Naushera virkan and Wazirabad tehsils were still receiving income from all their resources, besides the government grants.

The public representatives suggested that the city district government should equally divide the income from major resources among the four towns, besides enhancing their monthly grants.

They also sought the control of sanitation system in the towns, saying the city district government had failed to run it successfully.