People suffer as race for Ferozewala AC continues
Matters pile up as no assistant commissioner in office since March 8.
PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE:
People of Ferozewala tehsil have been left in the lurch for the past 10 days as the race for the post of assistant commissioner continues.
More than four candidates are in the run for the lucrative post, since the outgoing AC Rana Shakeel Aslam, son of ex-DIG Rana Aslam and nephew of Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Iqbal, left his seat on March 8. He remained persistent with the post till March 17 despite being transferred eight days earlier.
The Ferozewala AC post is considered a lucrative post for being the only tehsil of Sheikhupura district, which has two municipalities.
Two massive development projects – the motorway bypass from Kalashah Kaku to Lahore and a recreational area – are planned in Ferozewala, for which land acquisition is done through the AC. Another plus point for this tehsil is that the administrative offices are situated in Lahore but its jurisdiction is in Sheikhupura.
Insiders told The Express Tribune that Shakeel had been trying to reverse his transfer orders through political leaders while Asad Magsi, a close relative of a high-ranking anti-corruption officer, is also trying to get posted as the Ferozewala AC.
Nankana Sahib AC Mian Rafique Ahsan is also in the run for the post through PML-N lawmaker Shezra Mansab, the sources said. Another candidate, who was promised the post even before Shakeel’s transfer, has been sidelines because of the involvement of politicians.
Sheikhupura Deputy Commissioner Arqam Tariq told The Express Tribune that due to some issues, a permanent AC has not been posted after the transfer of Shakeel. Ferozewala Registrar Muzamil Ilyas has been given additional charge for the time being, he added.
He said the issue would be resolved soon. While he did not say a permanent AC will be posted, ‘some solution’ to run the routine affairs will be found.
Registrar Muzamil was given the additional charge on Friday. He forwarded some applications for routine reporting but did not even visit the office on Saturday for being on leave for ‘personal reasons’.
He told The Express Tribune that he would over take the responsibility from Monday.
Because of the unavailability of the permanent AC, no one is looking into the affairs of Patwaris as several circles have no patwaris, which only a permanent AC can post or give additional charge to.
The AC, also being land revenue administration official, is responsible for the revenue affairs of the tehsil. He is also an administrator of every department falling in the tehsil and on behalf of deputy commissioner he is answerable for any untoward incident in the region.
He is also responsible for managing land records, revenue receipts related to land transfer, water cess and crop cess, etc. The AC is the appellate forum against orders of tehsildars concerned and also issues domiciles.
Sajjad Chohan, a visitor to Ferozewala AC office, said on Saturday that it was his 10th day at the office. To get a court decree implemented regarding his disputed land, he has to get the approval of the additional deputy commissioner, who has forwarded his application to the AC for verification.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 21st, 2017.
People of Ferozewala tehsil have been left in the lurch for the past 10 days as the race for the post of assistant commissioner continues.
More than four candidates are in the run for the lucrative post, since the outgoing AC Rana Shakeel Aslam, son of ex-DIG Rana Aslam and nephew of Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Iqbal, left his seat on March 8. He remained persistent with the post till March 17 despite being transferred eight days earlier.
The Ferozewala AC post is considered a lucrative post for being the only tehsil of Sheikhupura district, which has two municipalities.
Two massive development projects – the motorway bypass from Kalashah Kaku to Lahore and a recreational area – are planned in Ferozewala, for which land acquisition is done through the AC. Another plus point for this tehsil is that the administrative offices are situated in Lahore but its jurisdiction is in Sheikhupura.
Insiders told The Express Tribune that Shakeel had been trying to reverse his transfer orders through political leaders while Asad Magsi, a close relative of a high-ranking anti-corruption officer, is also trying to get posted as the Ferozewala AC.
Nankana Sahib AC Mian Rafique Ahsan is also in the run for the post through PML-N lawmaker Shezra Mansab, the sources said. Another candidate, who was promised the post even before Shakeel’s transfer, has been sidelines because of the involvement of politicians.
Sheikhupura Deputy Commissioner Arqam Tariq told The Express Tribune that due to some issues, a permanent AC has not been posted after the transfer of Shakeel. Ferozewala Registrar Muzamil Ilyas has been given additional charge for the time being, he added.
He said the issue would be resolved soon. While he did not say a permanent AC will be posted, ‘some solution’ to run the routine affairs will be found.
Registrar Muzamil was given the additional charge on Friday. He forwarded some applications for routine reporting but did not even visit the office on Saturday for being on leave for ‘personal reasons’.
He told The Express Tribune that he would over take the responsibility from Monday.
Because of the unavailability of the permanent AC, no one is looking into the affairs of Patwaris as several circles have no patwaris, which only a permanent AC can post or give additional charge to.
The AC, also being land revenue administration official, is responsible for the revenue affairs of the tehsil. He is also an administrator of every department falling in the tehsil and on behalf of deputy commissioner he is answerable for any untoward incident in the region.
He is also responsible for managing land records, revenue receipts related to land transfer, water cess and crop cess, etc. The AC is the appellate forum against orders of tehsildars concerned and also issues domiciles.
Sajjad Chohan, a visitor to Ferozewala AC office, said on Saturday that it was his 10th day at the office. To get a court decree implemented regarding his disputed land, he has to get the approval of the additional deputy commissioner, who has forwarded his application to the AC for verification.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 21st, 2017.