Massive financial embezzlements have surfaced in the Metropolitan Corporation Lahore where officers who are supposed to collect tax in accordance with the bylaws have not even been appointed in certain zones. The Data Ganj Baksh zone that happens to generate the most revenue for the corporation in taxes has not been graced with a single revenue collecting officer or any other officer that ensures that the maps of the buildings constructed in the area fulfil the requirements set in the building bylaws. To add insult to injury, the administration, by keeping the Lord Mayor Colonel Mubashar Javed in the dark, has appointed an inexperienced clerk of the finance department, Suleman, to the post of the building inspector. Other critical jobs have also been given to under-qualified individuals whereas the experienced staff has been cornered; even the task of collecting revenue from these buildings is carried out by Suleman. It is imperative to note that Suleman does not collect revenue as per the auspices of the bylaws; in fact, he indulges in corruption by collecting revenue that does not fall in the ambit of any bylaws. Due to these blatant indiscripancies, in areas of Band Road, Kareem Park, Royal Park, Lakshmi Chowk, Manshi Hospital, Islampura, Beadon Road, Gawalmandi, Lakshmir Chowk, Chuburji, Shamnagar, Premnagar, Sunatnagar, Mozang and Sanda Road, hundreds of residential and commercial buildings have been constructed without receiving any approval from the authorities. Also, commercial buildings are being constructed in residential areas, without any regard to the bylaws.
In the Data Ganj Baksh area, where hundreds of millions of rupees were expected to be collected as revenue for the Metropolitan Corporation, only Rs 4.5 million have been collected and those too have been collected without any official documentation, as if they were collected as bribe.
In the Royal Park area, unlawful construction of building continues to this day. In this area, a person named Haji Ismael has given Rs 3.5 million to the concerned town officer. On being enquired regarding the bribe, Haji said that he was a relative of Colonel Javed, a relation he claims gives him impunity from any inspection from the town officers. He further added that despite being a relative of the colonel he had given the required amount to the town officer to receive clearance for the building he recently constructed.
A resident of the Royal Park area, Qaiser Raza said that he had informed the colonel about Haji’s criminal conduct, but no action has ever been taken against him. He added that the entire area is fraught with buildings whose maps have not been cleared by the authority. Buildings that are not allowed under the bylaws to have basements have been allowed to have basements, construction work for which is carried out at night.
According to sources in Data Town, the inexperienced and incapable clerk of the finance department, Suleman, has also been given an additional charge of the post of a building inspector, whereas a senior officer has been sidelined. The sidelining of the experienced officers from such critical posts has cost the Data Town millions of rupees in revenue.
In this regard, Chief Officer Metropolitan Corporation Sardar Naseer said that if the officer at Data Ganj Baksh zone Suleman is caught in any financial irregularities, strict action will be taken against him.
When contacted, Colonel Mubashar said that he has a good reputation and people know that he does not associate with corrupt individuals. Any such individual, whether he is his relative or not, should be taken to the task.
