DERA GHAZI KHAN, Aug 30: The tehsil municipal administration (TMA) has sought Punjab local government secretary’s permission to take action against 56 illegal housing colonies in its limits.

The Dera Ghazi Khan tehsil nazim has taken this step keeping in view the mushrooming of illegal housing schemes in the tehsil.

It has been learnt that Tehsil Nazim Mehmood Qadir Leghari wrote a letter two years ago to the executive district officer for revenue to stop registration of housing colonies which had not got approved their master plans from the authorities concerned.

On this, a committee was formed to look into this issue, but the committee failed to do its duty and the registration of housing colonies, which had not gotten their master plans approved, continued.

The tehsil nazim has also advertised the names of these unapproved housing colonies to warn the public against them.

It has also been learnt that owners of these housing colonies are buying land from people and selling it to their clients without getting it transferred in their names. Sources said these people were doing so to evade tax.

Income tax official Kashif Azhar Mastoi said 60 per cent property dealers were not paying income tax. He said that they did not submit ‘correct’ documents during the self-assessment scheme to evade tax.