Land utilisation secy told to sort out lease issue

The Sindh High Court on Thursday directed the land utilisation secretary to hold a meeting with the official assignee of the court to sort out an issue pertaining to the land lease of a public sector concern, Sindh Alkalis, which was closed down in the late 90s.

The direction came on an application by workers of the factory against non-payment of their dues by the factory management. The SHC had ordered the sale of Sindh Alkalis in August 2005. 

The factory’s employees, who are shareholders to the extent of 33 percent, had moved for liquidation to safeguard its assets and the interests of shareholders and creditors.  The SHC had ordered liquidation in 2004 and appointed its official assignee as the official liquidator and to resovle the matter of payment of outstanding dues of the labourers. The applicants’ counsel submitted that the workers’ dues were not being paid due to expiry of the lease of 150 acres of land of the factory and the applicants were facing severe hardships.

A revenue department official submitted that the department would review the issue of renewal of lease of land. The court directed the land utilisation secretary to sort out the lease issue with the official assignee so that the applicants could be given their outstanding dues at the earliest.

Encroached land

The SHC issued notices to the provincial advocate general, SSP Malir and others on a petition against land encroachment.

Petitioners Nazeer and Fareed submitted that they were owners of eight acres of land in Scheme 33, Gulzar-e-Hirji, which had been occupied by land grabbers who had even carried out construction work on the land.

Their counsel said police had failed to take action against the land grabbers and requested the court to direct the law enforcers to reclaim the land. The court called in comments from respondents and told its nazir to inspect the site and submit a report within 15 days.