Katchi abadis bill set to benefit land grabbers?

[Naveed Yaseen]

* Bill proposes transfer of government land worth trillions to katchi abadi dwellers
* Bill presented in PA without proper deliberation, Opp too busy defending its leaders

By Rana Kashif

LAHORE: Treasury members in the Punjab Assembly (PA) on Saturday tabled two important bills, as the opposition remained bogged down with defending their position after Friday’s sparring between the two sides.

The bills tabled in the PA included the Punjab Kachi Abadis (Amendment) Bill 2009, under which, residents of katchi abadis would be granted ownership rights of the lands in their use.

The bill was tabled in the assembly after an hour’s deliberation by the Committee on Local Government, which also selected its chairman on Friday.

PML-N member Mehr Ishtiaq, also a member of the Local Government Committee, presented the bill. Previously, the outgoing Punjab government, headed by Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, tried to get the bill passed, but then chairman of the PA Committee on Local Bodies, Mohsin Khan Leghari, had opposed it. Leghari objected that government’s land, worth billions of rupees, could not be given away in such a manner.

He said granting ownership of these lands to people in this way would encourage more people to encroach upon government-owned lands in the future. He had also proposed the provision of alternative housing to residents occupying government land, saying the land in question was worth trillions of rupees, which would be wasted by such careless dispensation. Leghari also said land owned by Auqaf Department could not be allotted to any one.

When the previous government failed to get the bill passed, it promulgated the Punjab Kachi Abadies Ordinance 2007 just before the February 18, 2008 elections. Under the ordinance, ownership rights were given to the residents of kachi abadis that emerged between 1985 and 2006.

It was rumoured that the ordinance had been issued to win over voters in the general elections.

Daily Times has learnt that the PML-N-led Punjab government made no amendments to the bill before its tabling in the assembly and the committee discussed the bill for a few hours only before presenting it in the PA.

Meanwhile, opposition members in the PA paid no attention to the bill, being so occupied in defending their leaders. A PA member requesting anonymity said the opposition had no idea of the controversial nature of the bill.

He said the bill would allow the transfer of government property worth trillions of rupees to land grabbers and mafia, adding that the lands in question consisted of premises in various posh localities of Lahore. He added that the treasury was in a “great hurry” to finalise the matter, but the opposition did not play the role it should have. Local Government Committee Chairman Tahir Ahmed Sindhu and Mehr Ishtiaq were not available for comment.

Committee member Nazim Hussain Shah said he had no knowledge of the committee discussing the said bill in a meeting.

No Area District Tehsil Area Dwellers/unit Owned by

Kanal-Marla-SqFt

1 Mandir Pir Ghazi Road LAHORE LDA 005-18-150 52 ETPB
2 Tipu Block, Garden Town LAHORE LDA 005-03-093 44 LDA
3 Jeewan Hana Davis Abad LAHORE LDA 014-08-156 101 LDA
4 Youhana Colony No 1, Township LAHORE LDA 010-08-150 76 WASA
5 Youhana Colony No 2, Township LAHORE LDA 005-04-090 53 LDA
6 Camp Jail Quarters LAHORE LDA 004-00-000 40 LDA
7 Ajodhiapur Beer LAHORE LDA 012-08-119 91 LDA
8 Tezab Ahata Purani Baradari LAHORE LDA 004-16-049 60 Central Govt
9 Ahata Makhan Singh LAHORE LDA 023-04-203 184 Punjab Govt
10 Keer Kalan, Green Town LAHORE LDA 004-14-148 100 LDA
11 Nala B-1 Township LAHORE LDA 008-03-085 43 LDA
12 Nala B-2 Township LAHORE LDA 011-18-176 70 LDA
13 Christian Colony (Bilawal Colony)Township LAHORE LDA 004-14-148 40 LDA
14 Mushtaq Colony, Niaz Baig LAHORE LDA 014-04-215 116 LDA
15 Rasool Pura, Niaz Baig LAHORE LDA 089-06-218 364 LDA
16 Karamat Colony, Thokar Niaz Baig LAHORE LDA 068-14-030 431 Auqaf Dept
17 Milad Street Near Schazoo Lab LAHORE LDA 011-05-000 80 Punjab Govt
18 Masjid Moulvi Taj Din LAHORE LDA 015-15-000 101 Railways/Auqaf
19 Baja Line Phase II LAHORE LDA 008-00-000 54 LDA
20 Sarai Rattan Chand, Bansanwala Bazar LAHORE LDA 031-03-200 297 Abadi Deh
21 Tanki No 56 Azafi Abadi LAHORE LDA 008-12-000 46 Railways
22 Achant Garh-II LAHORE LDA 007-08-117 80 Railways
23 Jamil Abad -II Gate # 4 LAHORE LDA 007-00-000 42 Railways
24 Jamil Abad -II Gate # 3 LAHORE LDA 018-12-000 74 Railways
25 Baba Beri Wala No III LAHORE LDA 009-19-000 54 Railways
26 Ferozian Wala Johar Town LAHORE LDA 005-17-022 42 LDA
27 Cooper Road 17-21 LAHORE LDA 015-11-053 75 Central Govt
28 Umar Colony LAHORE LDA 016-10-000 102 Railways
29 Chamba House LAHORE LDA 006-00-000 56 Punjab Govt
30 Link Wahdat Road LAHORE LDA 023-02-040 135 LDA
31 Chandi Ahata LAHORE LDA 002-01-077 47 Punjab Govt
32 Ittehad Colony, Sui Gas LAHORE LDA 045-09-137 272 Railways
33 Shadman Colony LAHORE LDA 009-05-000 81 LDA
34 Basti Saidan Shah LAHORE LDA 004-08-037 49 LDA
35 Junejo Colony No 2 Green Town LAHORE LDA 002-19-203 52 LDA
36 Junejo Colony No 1 Green Town LAHORE LDA 010-19-223 83 LDA
37 Muhammad Pura LAHORE LDA 017-08-182 113 Central Govt
38 Zia Colony, Township LAHORE LDA 038-17-159 185 LDA
39 Herbanspura LAHORE LDA 072-19-113 363 Central Govt
40 Ahata Nimak Wala Opp Sheran Wala Gate LAHORE LDA 006-03-153 58 ETPB
41 Wireless Colony LAHORE LDA 016-13-034 138 Punjab Govt
42 Parachute Factory LAHORE LDA 025-00-000 143 Railways
43 Ittehad Colony, Roti Plant LAHORE LDA 014-12-093 154 Railways

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