KASUR  -  The additional deputy commissioner (revenue) ordered an inquiry against the revenue officials and land grabbers for their alleged connivance to sell state land worth billions of rupees in downtown Kasur.

According to official sources, the 18-kanal piece of state land, Khasra No 3892 & 3535, adjacent to MA Jinnah Road, had been retrieved from land grabbers about nine years ago (2009) by then Kasur district coordination officer Jahanzeb Awan and administrator Shuja Qutb Bhatti. The officers had sealed the state property, retrieved with locals' assistance after hectic struggle, and handed its ownership to the Kasur Municipal Committee. As the land grabbers allegedly interceded with ministers of the then PML-N government to regain control of the land, the DCO and the administrator established a parking stand on it to prevent it from falling into the hands of land mafia.

But now, the deputy commissioner, reportedly, left the ban from the sale of state land, following hectic lobbying by the land mafia through their blue-eyed in the current administration. The officials apathy and "greed" can be gauged from the fact that owner of the commercial property worth more than eight billion - the Municipal Committee did not take any step to guard the precious state land. Owing to the administration's indifference to pursue the case due to alleged connivance with the land mafia, senior advocate Malik Shafiq Ahmed had to get a stay orders from a civil court in July to save the land from going into the possession of land grabbers. But the land mafia appeared mightier than ever before as they managed to get a blue-eyed person appointed as patwari of Kasur City who issued mutation of the state land and transferred its ownership against the court' s orders.

Now the land grabbers with the alleged connivance of the revenue officials have prepared two registries to sell the land to another party. As stated earlier, the land is possessed by Kasur Municipal Committee which had auctioned it a few months ago.

A delegation of senior lawyers and journalists called on Kasur deputy commissioner the other day and apprised him of the irregularity. The DC moved the case to Additional Deputy Commissioner (revenue) Ch Arshad who scrutinised files of the case. He also put questions to Naib Tehsildar Amjad and the patwari concerned, and ordered an inquiry after suspecting irregularities on a massive scale. He also vowed to take stern action against the officials involved in the scam. The administration, however, refuted the allegations of the high-ups' backing in the irregularities.

The district's trade organisations demanded that the Punjab chief minister should form an inquiry to stop the illegal sale of state-owned lands. They also warned massive protest if the land grabbers and their patrons are not punished.