DERA ISMAIL KHAN: The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) here on Wednesday claimed to have freed more than 54,000-kanal of government land from illegal occupants.

It said that cases were registered against the illegal occupants and some officials of revenue department were also arrested.

Addressing a press conference, ACE Assistant Director Shafiullah Khan Ghandapur said that they had also started action against the people, who were involved in the alleged embezzlement of Rs330 million funds, provided by World Bank to the education department as conditional grant. He said that they were also probing certain irregularities in the health department.

Mr Gandapur said that they freed the property of communication and works department, measuring 23,249 kanals in village Maryali, from illegal occupants. Following reclaiming the land from the occupants, the provincial government had asked the revenue department to conduct its delimitation so that the department concerned should lease or auction it, he added.

Similarly, Mr Gandapur said, land measuring 30,751 kanals in different villages including Jat Pehur, Rehmanwali, Jhok Shah Mohammad and Kotla Jam was also reclaimed.

The official said that a 42-kanal piece of land worth Rs558 million had fraudulently been transferred to private persons through forged deeds, which was traced by ACE. He said that two patwaris, a tehsildar and five other officials of revenue department were arrested for their involvement in the case. He said that the district administration cancelled the said transfer deeds.

Mr Ghandapur claimed that World Bank had provided grants to around 1,564 schools, however, investigation showed around Rs7.4 million were misappropriated by 40 schools.