SC takes notice of missing revenue record

Karachi
The Supreme Court on Tuesday took notice of the failure of the authorities to prepare a fresh record of revenue of 23 dehs in Jamshoro.
Hearing an appeal filed by Mohammad Naveed Alam with regard to a dispute about the allotment of 42.21 acres in Thano Bola Khan, the apex court took exception to the failure of the revenue officials to maintain the revenue record.
When it inquired the Mukhtiarkar about the revenue record register, he said the register was burnt in 2007 and he was not handed over any at a time of his appointment in the area.
The court also took notice of the officials’ defiance of a two-year-old injunction to prepare a new revenue record. After the court had issued the injunction, an advocate general had said the land record of the province, except for a few dehs, had been prepared again.
The Mukhtiarkar submitted that the record of 23 dehs of the Jamshoro district was required to be prepared.
The court observed that such defiance was a sheer violation of its directive issued almost two years back.
A three-member bench headed by Justice Amir Hani Muslim issued a notice to the Hyderabad commissioner to appear along with the Mukhtiarkaron August 6 to explain.
The court also expressed serious reservations over non-maintenance of the revenue record in the Jamshoro district.

JPMC’s appeal
The Supreme Court disposed of an appeal filed by Jinnah postgraduate Medical Centre regarding the allotment of space to a welfare organization that provides free food for patients’ attendants on the premises of the hospital after a compromise between the welfare organisation and the hospital management.
The court was hearing the appeal against a high court order regarding allocation of space to the NGO for providing food to the poor patients’ attendants at hospital premises.
JPMC Joint Director Dr Seemin Jamali submitted that the trust was using a portion on the premises of the hospital, besides a shelter, to provide free food to visitors, and was thus affecting the hospital security.
The court directed the health secretary to visit the hospital to find out any suitable place where the NGO’s food Dastarkhwan could be relocated in a manner that would not cause any problems for the visitors.
It was informed by the health secretary that both parties had reached a consensus on the allocation of space at the hospital for providing free food to the attendants of patients.
After taking the statement of the appellant and the respondent on record, the court disposed of the appeal and issued an injunction to provide the space within seven days. It also said that the welfare organisation would not make a permanent structure for providing food facilities to poor patients and their attendants.
The petitioner, Saylani Welfare Trust, had said at the SHC that it had been providing free food and medicines at the JPMC for patients and attendants visiting the hospital, but its welfare activities were stopped by the new management of the hospital due to security reasons.