Metro Bus project: Affectees take to streets against govt

Land acquisition official says process of 80% payments have been completed

MULTAN: At least 500 affectees of the Metro Bus Project, whose land had been acquired for the project, staged a protest demonstration at Vehari Chowk, Multan against non-payment of land price.

The protesters blocked Vehari Chowk for more than two hours and demanded immediate payment of the amount promised by the government. They also shouted slogans against the government and Multan Development Authority.

While speaking to The Express Tribune, protesters said the administration of Metro Bus Project did not provide the price of their lands because of wrong estimates. One of the protesters Muhammad Shafique said, “It has been over a year since the government promised to pay land money to 255 affectees in the first phase but they had not been paid as yet.”



Another affectee Izhar Alam said, “We have been moving from office to office demanding money. The officers in the government departments do not pay heed to our requests, while some demand bribe to forward our cases.”

Meanwhile, Land Acquisition Collector Ghulam Mustufa said the process of 80% payments had been completed.

Multan Development Authority DG said 263 canal and 12 marla of land was acquired for the route of Metro Bus Project. He said the award of Rs4.23 billion was announced of which Rs3.15 billion had been paid to the affectees. He directed the protesters to contact the land acquisition collector for the payment of remaining dues.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 8^th, 2016.