AHMEDPUR EAST
A land mafia is active to grab the state-owned Canal Rest House situated at Kutchery Road Ahmedpur East, and wants to convert it into shops by demolishing its walls.
The gang is so much influential that it has established contacts within Chief Minister’s Secretariat and is pressuring Bahawalpur district administration for vacation of the land from the Irrigation Department. Meanwhile, PML-N MPA Qazi Adnan Farid has resisted the move and drew the attention of district coordination officer of Bahawalpur toward the plan.
Various canal rest houses were established from Sadiqabad subdivision to Bahawalnagar district in vast areas in Abbasi era. Even in one sub-division, three to four canal rest houses spread over acres of lands still exist in Bahawalpur division.
When contacted, irrigation and revenue officials revealed that one Ghulam Abbas, a resident of Muhalla Shikarian, is claimant of two kanal 8 marla land of the Canal Rest House for which he had submitted applications to the chief minister Punjab.
On the chief minister’s directive, the secretary irrigation Punjab constituted two member-committee consisting Superintending  Engineer Irrigation Bahawalpur and ADC Ms Imrana Ajmal to probe into the matter.
Earlier, Assistant Commissioner Rana Amjad Ali had held inquiry into the matter and found that Ghlam Abbas was not right in his claim. The committee thoroughly inquired into the claim. Despite the submission of report of Assistant Commissioner Rana Amjad Ali and two members inquiry committee against the person, the gang still using tactics to grab the precious land. Citizens have urged Chief Minister Punjab and Commissioner Bahawalpur Division to initiate legal action against the bogus claimant of state land.
School gets water filtration plant : A water filtration plant has been installed on the premises of Government Sadiq Abbas Degree College here with the financial support of two local philanthropists Chaudhry Muhammad Shabbir and Haji Muhammad Shahid. This was stated by Senior Head Master Akhter Hussain Kamal while talking to newsmen here. He informed that the plant would help ensure pure potable water to over 1000 students of the school. Meanwhile both the philanthropists inaugurated newly installed water filtration plant.