Rawalpindi: RDA braces for getting its land vacated from encroachers

[Naveed Yaseen]

Saeed Ahmed
On the directives of the Punjab government, the Land Development and Estate Management Directorate of the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has started work to get vacated its residential, commercial and agricultural plots from occupants who had built up houses and business centres on the encroached land.

Official sources told ‘The News’ on Tuesday that the Punjab government in November had directed the concerned authorities to submit a comprehensive report on the RDA land grabbed by encroachers in different parts of Rawalpindi. The Punjab government had warned the RDA to submit proper report otherwise it would be considered an offence leading to legal action.

On these directives, RDA Director (LD&EMD) Shuja Ali had constituted a survey team to identify the encroached land. The survey team after two weeks of its work pointed out 13 sites, which had been encroached by different elements. These include Saidpur Road Scheme, Asghar Mall Scheme, Ansari Market Scheme, Bonded Ware Scheme, Civil Lines Scheme, Dosehra Ground Scheme, Eidgah Scheme, Fruit Market Scheme, Ghazni Colony Scheme, Ganjmandi Scheme, Millat Colony Scheme, Mohanpura Scheme and Sherpao Colony Scheme.

Shuja Ali, confirming the report, said that the Punjab government had issued the directives on the demand of RDA Director General Makeen Shahbaz, who started efforts to get back the RDA land soon after taking the charge of his office.

The survey report, containing names of the encroached land and plots in the RDA housing scheme would be submitted to the Punjab government. The directorate is also demanding of the government to provide it with police force, judicial magistrate and other required facilities to get vacated the encroached land from the possession of ‘qabza groups’.

A major part of RDA plots near Saidpur Road were illegally occupied. The RDA would launch a grand operation against encroachers to get its land vacated soon after the Punjab government provides services of police and other facilities to the RDA. The action would be completed within a couple of months.

However the RDA has already started the process of issuing notices to encroachers directing them to vacate illegally occupied land and plots of the RDA or else face legal action. A period of one month has been given to encroachers for the settlement of the matter. The vacated land and plots would be utilised for projects like housing schemes and commercial centres for generating funds of billions of rupees.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=152341