RAWALPINDI, Dec 1: Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) on Saturday served final notices to all lease holders of properties on old grant lease, in cantonment areas.

The notice directs lease holders to regularise properties by December 31, otherwise the lease would stand cancelled.

The Military Lands and Cantonments (ML&C) prepared the old grants lease policy in 2007, while giving an opportunity to the people to establish their legal ownership of property, through regularisation, before December 31, 2012.

During the British rule in 1857, the civilians were invited to construct shops and residences in the cantonment area, in order to accommodate them in cantonments, to bridge the gap between British soldiers and local Indians.

Some changes were made after the partition of the sub-continent and the government forced the people to give back the old grant properties. This created unrest among the residents and the federal government decided in 1996 to convert the old grant lease into a permanent lease. The cantonment board authorised the people to raise buildings and in the process recovered millions of rupees in taxes.

However, due to high rates demanded by the cantonment authorities for conversion of old grant lease properties, the residents rejected the offer. In 2007, the federal government again announced a policy, asking applicants to regularise their property, while paying a premium of 20 per cent to District Control Rate (DCR) for residential property and 40 per cent premium of DCR for commercial property.

But the cantonment authorities received a disappointing response from the residents of these properties. There are total 4,742 residential units and 1,138 commercial units on old grant lease but only 61 residential and 101 commercial unit owners have applied for the regularisation, so far.

The lease holders are of the view that the cantonment authorities demanding Rs10 million to Rs50 million in fee was difficult for the owners of residential units.

“We are paying property taxes to the cantonment board and it is unfair to pay more money to the civic body for nothing. It is not possible for the common people to pay the hefty amount,” said Mohammad Shahzad, a resident of Chota Bazaar, Saddar.

Another resident of the same locality, Ali Hussain, said that the civic body served the final notice and it terrified his family members as they had been living in the house for the last 70 years. “The government should take notice of the inhuman acts of cantonment authorities,” he insisted.

A group of residents formed All Pakistan Cantonment Civilian Residents and traders Association. “We received the notices and we have also served notice to the cantonment authorities to withdraw the new policy before December 8, otherwise, the people will go to the courts for justice,” said chairman of the action committee of the association, Dr Changez Niazi.

“Under Cantonment Act 1924, the people will have to file a complaint with Military Lands and Cantonments and if their complaint will not be addressed, then they are allowed to go to the court,” he said.

When contacted, RCB Cantonment Executive Officer, Rana Manzoor Ahmed Khan, said that the RCB had served final notices to the people owning residential and commercial units constructed on old grant lease property.

“We will cancel the lease of old grant, after December 31, if the people failed to contact the civic body,” he warned.

When asked about the hefty fee for the property regularisation, he said that the government had announced the policy.