–Arrears worth Rs31,420,800,000 pending with hotels, shops, houses, warehouses and a factory since 1998
–ACE director says will make recoveries at all costs, no further misuse of government land will be allowed
LAHORE: The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) has decided to recover “tawan” [arrears] worth almost Rs32 billion from people occupying nazool land [government land along with buildings standing on it] since 1998 without paying a single penny, Pakistan Today has learnt.
According to sources, the land was given to the people on lease after partition and recoveries from 18 hotels, 1,970 shops, 730 houses, 10 warehouses and one factory; worth Rs31,420,800,000, are yet to be made as all attempts made by the department in this regard have been futile so far.
“ACE has written a letter to the Lahore deputy commissioner (DC) wherein it is stated that an inquiry has discovered how no rent has been recovered from commercial entities situated on nazool land,” sources said.
The letter further states it has been decided that the penalty for illicit cultivation should be charged equivalent to 20 to 40 times of the land revenue or doubled the prevalent market rent in the locality, whichever is higher, they added.
According to the letter, the proposed rent per hotel is approximately Rs60,000 and after adding all arrears since 1998, the amount of 18 hotels is 51,8400,000. Similarly, the amount to be recovered from 1,970 shops situated on nazool land, with an area of 1 marla per shop, adds up to Rs14,400,000.
The recoveries to be made from 730 houses with an area of approximately 5 marlas per house, after adding all arears equals Rs7,008,000,000, whereas the 10 warehouses and the one factory owe the government Rs240,000,000 and Rs14,400,000, respectively.
“It is recommended that an amount of tawan should be declared as arrears of land revenue in pursuance of sections as defined in Punjab Land Revenue Act of 1967 and be recovered by initiating the proceedings as enshrined in Sections 81 to 92 onwards of act ibid under intimated to this office,” the letter stated.
“Board of Revenue (BOR) and ACE are on the same page to recover this amount, we are also investigating land grabbing cases and the officers involved,” ACE Investigation Deputy Director Shahrukh Khan Niazi told Pakistan Today.
Hopefully, the recoveries would soon be made and deposited in the public exchequer, he said, adding that no one would be exempted as it was the government’s money that had been plundered.
ACE Director Asghar Joiya told this scribe that they were optimistic and set to recover Rs32 billion.
“We are also initiating inquiries against those who are involved in this negligence and are looking into all these matters,” he said.
Joiya added that they would recover the amount at all costs and no further misuse of government land would be allowed. “We will ensure that all arrears are cleared.”
