LODHRAN-The district administration, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), anti-corruption committee, and legal fraternity lauded the role of The Nation for unearthing the embezzlement of Rs11 million that has now been deposited in the national exchequer after recovery.
Talking to the media, Deputy Commissioner Saqib Al Ateel, FBR Bahawalpur Region Commissioner Shahid Al Hassan Chatta, former Anti-Corruption Committee district president Tufail Thakur and others paid tributes to the English daily. He said that the media organisation always played a key role in pinpointing corruption and wrongdoings in the society.
According to the case details, Patwari Allah Ditta of Sandhiwala, a suburban Mauza of Lodhran, with connivance of one Khyzar Hayyat and the sub-registrar registered five sale deeds of the Model Housing Scheme (total land of 650 Marlas) according to Schedule 4 instead of the rate fixed by the Punjab Revenue Department and passed by the district administration.
In this way, he benefited the owners of the Model City Housing Scheme in millions of rupees. According to the law, Model City Housing Scheme has a separate schedule No 91 and 92. If a plot is vacant, the schedule 91 (Rs150,000 per marla) is applied and if constructed, the sale deed is registered according to Schedule 92 (Rs160,000 per marla). Similarly, the land in question is about 650 marlas and its sale deed registration should have been of Rs104 million and its 8 percent would have been deposited in the banks as government fee. Thus, the remaining registration fee of the two sale deeds was Rs11 million that was deposited in the national treasury after the publication of a news item in the English daily.
The perusal of the last six-month record of the revenue office, Patwari Allah Ditta has been conning out of the national treasury in exchange of heavy bribe. Each "Fard Malkiat" issued by him was found contrary to the facts in which commercial land was showed non-commercial, agricultural land shown as barren land, and constructed houses showed as vacant plots. In addition, the sales of worth Rs4 million properties were divided into two parts to save 4 percent FBR tax, it was revealed. Following the news publication, the deputy commissioner had formed an inquiry committee and demanded an audit report. The DC said that The Nation has done responsible reporting.
Commissioner FBR Bahawalpur Region Shahid Al Hassan Chatta also lauded The Nation's responsible reporting. He said that according to the Government Schedule if any sale deed is registered, a land bought or sold, and its value is Rs4 million or above, 4pc FBR tax is deducted; if the seller or buyer are not tax registered then fee is 4% and if they are registered then fee is 2%.
Tufail Thakur said that corruption and power abuse plagued every sector in the country; still responsible Pakistani organisations are present whose representatives do the journalism of truth and reality.
Olympia Association Chairman Mirza Saleem Akhtar demanded that strict action be taken against those cause loss to the national treasury. Former president of Bar Association Lodhran Mehar Bilal Masood said that such corrupt people as the revenue official immediately be terminated.