LAHORE, Nov 23: Establishment of the first-ever compost plant in the country at Mahmood Booti bund is becoming doubtful on account of inordinate delay in the transfer of possession of the land to the intending investor by the City District Government.

In a letter sent to District Nazim Mian Amer a few days back, Lahore Compost Chief Executive Anwar Saifullah who has entered into an agreement with the CDG for the establishment of the proposed plant, has expressed concern over delay in the transfer of the possession of the land pointing out that the machinery suppliers were pressing for the opening of the letter of credit.

He informed the Nazim that the bank had already sanctioned a loan for the project, but the company could not avail the facility due to delay in the transfer of land possession in the light of the agreement for the establishment of the plant costing Rs250 million in March this year.

The CDG is reluctant to transfer the possession of 300 kanals at its 636-kanal landfill site at Mahmood Booti due to the pendency of a writ petition filed by former landowners in the Lahore High Court.

The landowners have demanded resumption of the possession of their land on the ground that the CDG had been unable to use it for scientific disposal of solid waste since the acquisition in 1995.

Meanwhile, a commission headed by Dr Pervaiz Hasan constituted by the LHC last year has submitted its recommendations favouring the establishment of the compost plant.

The court could not announce its judgment following the receipt of the recommendations on account of the elevation of the judge, entrusted with hearing of the case, as a Supreme Court judge. The case is being heard by Chief Justice Iftikhar Husain Chaudhry now.

CDG senior legal adviser Khwaja Mohammad Afzal has moved an application for seeking a court permission to transfer the possession of 200 kanals for the establishment of the plant and another 100 kanals for the waste storage on the ground that it had signed the agreement in this regard on March 11 following the receipt of recommendations of the commission.