ETPB leases Haji camp for Rs194m for 30 years

LAHORE

Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) has leased the priced land of the Haji camp near the Lahore Railways Station for Rs194 million for a period of 30 years.

"We have leased the Haji camp land measuring 19 kanal and 11 marla at the highest price," ETPB Chairman Muhammad Siddiq-ul-Farooq claimed at a press conference at his residence on Saturday. He said the land had not been sold, rather leased to a private individual, Safdar Iqbal, for 30 years and the contract was extendable. "After the expiry of the leased term; the board can get back its property again. We were earning around Rs 5 million a year in rent of the land but now we will get around Rs 50 million after its new construction," he argued.

The chairman also made it clear that this year pilgrims would be trained at the Haji camp as per normal arrangements in July but from the next year new construction had been proposed to the Ministry of Religious Affairs near Motorway at Thokar Niaz Beg. To a question, he said as per estimates, the DC rate of the locality had been fixed at Rs 25 million per kanal and the estimated market rate at Rs 2 million per marla (Rs40 million per kanal). "The board has earned the highest price through open auction. The lessee will also pay ETPB Rs 6 million per annum soon after completing development works at the place," he added.

When asked why ETPB didn’t opt for constructing the property through its own resources to get more revenue, the chairman said the board had not enough money for new constructions. He also rejected the claim that the lessee was his relative.

Bone marrow centre to be functional in two months: minister: On the directions of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the first public sector bone marrow transplantation centre has been established in Children Hospital, Lahore, at a cost of Rs 260 million.

“Installation of medical equipment is underway and the centre would start functioning within two months. Doctors have selected first five patients for bone marrow operations,” said Khawaja Salman Rafique, Punjab Minister for Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education, after chairing a meeting to review the arrangements for operationalising the bone marrow transplantation at Children Hospital on Saturday. Besides, Dean Institute of Child Health and Children Hospital Prof. Dr. Masood Sadiq, Medical Director Prof Ahsan Waheed Rathore, Project Director Bone Marrow Transplantation Center Dr. Tahir Shamsi, Dr. Nasir Bukhari, Prof. Huma Arshad Cheema, Dr. Mehvish Faizan and other concerned officers attended the meeting.

The meeting was informed that the centre had 60 beds where medical treatment and surgical facilities would be provided to the patients suffering from cancer, heamatology and bone marrow disorders.

Kh Salman Rafique said that initially 30 bone marrow transplantation operations would be carried out annually. He said that this facility would be provided to the poor and deserving patients free of cost. “In private sector one bone marrow operation costs 3 million rupees,” he added.