CDGL running a katchi abadi racket

The CDGL bureaucracy has unleashed corruption in grant of ownership rights to the dwellers of 65 Katchi Abadis (shanties) in clear violation of the Punjab government’s orders and the recently approved amendment to the Punjab Katchi Abadis Act 1992.
The trail has been traced by Pakistan Today to the DCO Lahore’s Personal Staff Officer (PSO) Tariq Zaman, who has set the bribery rates for transferring ownership rights to katchi abadi residents. Rates have been set according to size, position, development works, commercial aspect and adjacent developed localities.
A senior CDGL official said that Tariq Zaman was earning disrepute for DCO Lahore Ahad Cheema and Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif by impeding public welfare projects to mint money. He said, “Being PSO to the DCO, Zaman is free to manipulate official work with impunity. Zaman manoeuvres matters with the help of other CDGL officials on deputation before they reach the DCO.”
Asked for revenue record: Punjab Special Department Directorate of Katchi Abadis and Urban Improvement, working under the local government and community development department, asked the CDGL to submit the revenue record after submitting a list of 65 katchi abadis to be granted ownership rights.
Recently, the Punjab Katchi Abadi Directorate issued a letter DG (KA & UI) 10-4 / 2007-135 to Lahore DCO Ahad Cheema mentioning Reminder-10 and requesting the DCO to finalise the issue on priority basis. The letter was accompanied by the complete list of 65 katchi abadis where the CDGL, LDA and revenue department completed surveys and compiled lists of the residential units.
Sources said that while the DCO looked culpable, in fact, it was Tariq Zaman who had thrown the spanner looking for illegal gratification. They said that Zaman was behind the CDGL’s deliberate inaction on a number of issues, including high-rising building, sanitation, clean drinking water, transport, land-grabbing and the anti-encroachment drive, which have affected the CM’s reputation negatively..
Speaking to Pakistan Today, DCO PRO Rafi Ullah said the DCO was not available for comment. He denied that PSO to DCO Tariq Zaman had anything to do with the matter. Tariq Zaman said, “I am DO (Environment) and deal with environment issues. Revenue matters do not come to me. It is Additional Collector and EDO (Revenue) Nadir Shah who deals with katchi abadi matters.”
List: The list of katchi abadis includes Ferozian Wala Johar Town spreading over 5 kanals 17 marlas with 42 residential units; Gilani Mohala on 5 kanals 18 marlas with 63 residential units; Aahatah Namak Wala on 15 kanals 13 marlas with 49 housing units; Chandi Aahata on 2 kanals 1 marla with 47 residential units; Cooper Road on 15 kanals 11 marlas with 75 residential units; Ittehad Colony Roti Plant on 14 kanals 12 marlas with 154 residential units; Jewan Hana Davisabad on 14 kanals 8 marlas on 101 residential units; Keer Kalan Green Town on 12 kanals 7 marlas with 100 residential units; Link Wahdat Road on 25 kanals with 135 residential units; Rasool Pura Niaz Baig on 28 kanals 14 marlas with 165 residential units; Muhammad Pura on 17 kanals 8 marlas with 113 residential units; Mushtaq Colony Niaz Baig on 20 kanals 17 marlas with 116 residential units; Tipu Block Garden Town on 5 kanals 3 marlas with 44 residential units; Karamat Colony Thokar Niaz Baig on 66 kanals 11 marlas with 616 residential units.
Other katchi abadis included are Takkiya Pir Yaqoob Shah, Tibba Baba Fareed, Harbanspura Extension, Qalandar Pura Extension, Rehmanpura Rani Pind, Altaf Colony, Ibrahim Colony, Chungi Gujjarpura, Ismail Town, Ittehad Town, Fareed Garden, Habib Block, Hajveri Town, and Chaudhry Colony.
An official said that the department had already completed a survey, which was given the go ahead after the Punjab Assembly (PA) passed the Punjab Katchi Abadis (Amendment) Bill 2009. “Under the Katchi Abadis Bill, amendments had been made in sections 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9 of Act VIII of 1992. Under the amendment in Section 5, the Punjab government formed an implementation committee for a district in which a katchi abadi was located. Under Section 6, “March 23, 1985” has been replaced with “December 31, 2006,” he added.
“The main emphasis in the survey was to assess changes in the layout of settlements-katchi abadis, construction of houses, addition of rooms, and changes made in the covered area of the houses, water schemes, sewerage and drainage plans, road infrastructures and utility services. The survey teams filed 3 types of performa issued jointly by the ministry of local government and rural development. Performa A involved geographical demarcation of katchi abadis, location, moaza and total land. It also featured the number of registered units (houses), number of residents, date of regularisation, date of transfer to LDA or TMA and number of people who had been awarded (or not) ownership rights of land in possession. Performa B includes available infrastructure in katchi abadis such as provisions of waterlines, sewerage and drainage pipes, roads, streets, sanitation, sui gas, electricity and street lights. It also shows details of government dispensaries and private dispensaries, maternity centers, vocational schools run by NGOs and number of primary, middle and high schools. Performa C had details of general information regarding the number of technical and non-technical people living in katchi abadis and details of business and trade activities and the ratio of encroachments.
Sources said that the Punjab government had surveyed as many as 900 katchi abadis, which are likely to benefit after the amendment in the Punjab Katchi Abadis Act.
Meanwhile, LDA has began to transfer ownership rights to the residents of 154 registered ‘katchi abadis’ (shanties) in Lahore Development Authority-controlled areas. On the directive of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, LDA DG Abdul Jabbar Shaheen has directed the katchi abadi residents to contacts the LDA Directorate Katchi Abadis to get proprietary rights of their housing units. According to data, there are 154 registered katchi abadis containing 38,000 housing units. From these, 10,000 housing units have been granted ownership rights during last decade while the remaining 28,000 are yet to be approved. Till 1996, there were 145 registered ‘katchi abadis’ in LDA-governed area. The addition of eight more katchi abadis after 1996 has now brought the tally to 154.