KASUR City News

Kasur Bypass

Irrigation Dept officials accused

of constructing 21 extra culverts

From Our Correspondent

KASUR: The landowners of Mauza Kot Murad Khan have accused the Irrigation Department officials of constructing 21 extra culverts at 9.5km-long Kasur Bypass.

Talking to newsmen here, the land owners claimed that there were only nine culverts according to the approved bypass plan, but the number of culverts was increased to 30, ignoring the approved plan. “Culverts have not been constructed on water courses approved by the department,” they alleged. They blamed the Irrigation Department’s Pandoke sub-division officials, Zailadar and Patwari for constructing a culvert for Chak Aabpashi, in violation of the Canal and Drainage Act, after receiving bribe from a local farmer. Lumberdar of Mauza Kot Murad Khan alleged that the officials did not construct an approved culvert on a watercourse as he had refused to bribe the officials. Consequently, the canal water Warabandi has collapsed, he added.

The land owners claimed that there were five culverts in just 700-feet length of the bypass. They said that they had repeatedly complained to the authorities concerned, but to no avail. They have demanded Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and the Punjab ombudsman take immediate notice of irregularities in the construction of Kasur Bypass and order an inquiry in this regard.