FAISALABAD, Jan 22: Farmers of five villages who ‘sold’ their land to the Faisalabad Industrial Estate Development and Management Company (FIEDMC) for the establishment of industrial estate, are running from pillar to post to get Rs13 million as compensation for the damage done to buildings, other structures and trees, Dawn has learnt.
Sources said the company acquired the land of Chaks 144 RB, 161 RB, 186 RB, 152 RB and 157 RB. The possession of the land was handed over to the FIEDMC without permitting farmers to remove their belongings. The farmers raised hue and cry and demanded payment of compensation.
After the demands of farmers, most of them are not well off, the Land Acquisition Collector (LAC), with the help of revenue staff, conducted a survey to ascertain the damage to trees, crops and buildings. Survey data had been sent to the forest, agriculture and buildings departments, through the district revenue office, for assessment of the damage. The survey was conducted in August and September 2004.
Despite the survey, authorities have not yet paid compensation to the affected people as a result of which work on the project had been halted.
The matter was again taken up after the appointment of Ali Bajwa as LAC. Sources said the newly appointed LAC was pressed very hard by different quarters to make payments according to the survey, however, he refused to make payments fearing a corruption case against him.
Mr Bajwa told his high-ups that affected landowners had removed the crops standing at the time of survey owing to this the estimate made by the agriculture department could not be ascertained.
The FIEDMC - the beneficiary company - also expressed reservations about the damage to trees and said the assessment made by the forest department contained several over-writings and cuttings which had rendered the assessment dubious. Thus it required authentication.
The LAC suggested a fresh survey to make the entire procedure transparent.
Sources said the LAC had been asked by the authorities to announce the award on the basis of previous survey but he refused to do so saying that a number of trees, crops and other material had been removed from the spot.
An inquiry was also conducted by the LAC and notices were issued to the affected landowners.
The amount payable to the affected people of Chak 144 RB is Rs754,910 for trees and Rs476,000 for buildings, Chak 161 RB is Rs1.691 million and Rs851,900, Chak 152 RB is Rs3.49 million and Rs877,825, Chak 157 RB is Rs3.59 million and Rs2 million and Chak 186 RB is Rs2,275.
A district officer said payment was not a serious issue. In fact the contractors who had failed to meet the deadline of construction work had been provoking people to raise the issue.
Taking advantage of late payments, he said contractors intentionally stopped work several times to aggravate the situation.
Another problem that LAC has been facing is that many people are owners of one piece of land. Owing to the unavailability of the LAC the situation aggravated, he said, adding that after hectic efforts they managed to get an LAC.
“Officers think that they have to face the wrath of the National Accountability Bureau in case of even a minor mistake,” he maintained.
He said the LAC had started to make payments and soon all outstanding amounts would be released.
FIEDMC representative Ahmad Raza Siddique said the company had paid all outstanding dues and now it was the responsibility of the revenue department to make payment to the claimants.