RAWALPINDI, Jan 17: Ignoring the objections raised by Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), Punjab government has decided to give ownership rights to dwellers of Katchi Abadi at Ram Bagh near Asghar Mal Road by end of this month.

Over seven kanals piece of land is meant for Dharam Shala where more than 70 units had been constructed. The last Punjab government of Pervaiz Ellahi first initiated the ownership right process and accommodated 51 dwellers on the recommendation of then Rawal Town Municipal Administration.

However, it stopped the process when it received objections from the ETPB.

As the elections year is coming closer, the Punjab government directed the City District GovernmentRawalpindi (CDGR) to prepare a list of the dwellers of Katchi Abadis.

The sources told Dawn that the Punjab government planned to use ownership rights as publicity stunt in the coming elections. They said that the provincial government had directed the CDGR to complete homework as soon as possible.

They said the commissioner had called a meeting to give final look to the list prepared by the Rawal and Potohar Town Municipal Administrations. They said that there were only two katchi abadis, Toueedabad and Rehmatabad, in Potohar Town and the dwellers there had got ownership rights in the last Punjab government's tenure.

They said that the RTMA had prepared a list of the Katchi Abadis in the urban areas of the garrison city.

There are five Katchi Abadis de-clared by the RTMA: at Asghar Mall Road (over seven kanals), Bhoosa Godam at Dhoke Ratta (90 kanals), Wagon Colony at Dhoke Ratta (30 kanals), Ziaul Haq Colony on Pakistan Railways land and Kashmir Chamanzar Colony.

The ETPB officials said that the department had raised objections over the Katchi Abadi at Ram Bagh many a time with the provincial government but to no avail.

They said that Rawalpindi chapter of the board had informed the high-ups and it would take action after receiving the directions from its head office in Lahore. They said that land deeds of those dwellers that got it earlier were illegal.

Pakistan Railways land department officials said they had not declared Ziaul Haq Colony as Katchi Abadis and the RTMA would not is-sue the ownership rights to the dwellers without getting Non-objection Certificate from Pakistan Railways.

When contacted, Rawal Town Administrator Saif Anwar Jappa said that the RTMA had prepared lists of the katchi abadis dwellers.

He said the owners of 51 units at Ram Bagh, 30 at Bhoosa Godam, 125 at Wagon Colony, 206 in Ziaul Haq colony and the some dwellers of Kashmir Chaman zar Colony had got ownership rights.

To a question, he admitted that they were running some disputes with Evacuee Trust Property Board and Pakistan Railways. He said that in 2007, the RTMA had given the rights of ownership to these Katchi Abadis but process had been stopped after the departments raised objections.