ISLAMABAD: The Board of Revenue (BoR) Punjab has formally told the director general of the provincial Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) to desist from illegally proposing availability of land for the Naya Pakistan Housing Programme, a step which can invoke disciplinary action.
“Your act of proposing state land to the Naya Pakistan Housing & Development Authority (NAPHDA) as ACE director general is beyond your mandated role, a violation of Punjab government rules of business and colony laws besides a serious transgression of your jurisdiction and ultra vires of these laws and rules.
Therefore, you are advised not to go beyond your scope of jurisdiction, and not to indulge in illegal activities which can invoke disciplinary action,” a letter written by Babar Hayat Tarar, Senior BoR Member and an officer of grade 22, to the ACE director general stated. A copy of the communication is available with The News.
It said a reference has been received from the office of the NAPHDA chairman regarding the provision of unutilised government lands for the Naya Pakistan Housing Programme. It has been stated that a parcel of 1,172 kanals of land situated near Chakri Road, Rawalpindi, has been earmarked by the ACE chief for consideration/evaluation for housing projects undertaken by the NAPDHA. It has also been mentioned that this land has been retrieved by the ACE Punjab. The BOR letter said that efforts for the retrieval of state land by ACE are appreciable. However, these efforts should be led by the revenue department and its field formation compromising district collectors, deputy commissioners, the additional deputy commissioner (revenue) and assistant commissioner.
According to the letter, it is the primary responsibility of the district collector to retrieve state lands under illegal occupation, being the custodian of state lands.
The Punjab Government rules of business stipulate that the disposal, management, retrieval and litigation of state land rests with the BoR, Punjab. Only the BoR and the district collector are authorised under the law to utilise state land as per the policy of the provincial government, the letter said.
