K-P govt to table bill on protecting ETPB properties

To protect properties owned by the provincial evacuee trust properties board, the government has prepared the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Evacuee Trust Properties Amendment Bill, 2020, recommending heavy penalties and sentences for misuse, and illegally occupying lands of the board.

The bill is likely to be presented in the provincial assembly today (Monday).

Under the newly drafted bill, an assistant commissioner could be made K-P Evacuee Trust Properties Board (ETPB) deputy administrator. Any property which is declared as the property of ETPB should be registered within 90 days with the chief administrator.

The bill further read that the district revenue collector will be responsible to submit an annual report to the chief administrator, while he will also be bound to inform the chief commissioner about any changes in the deed or agreement of properties.

Anyone found misusing or occupying land owned by the ETPB could be fined up to Rs15 million or sent to jail.

The provincial government had recently announced plans to promote heritage tourism in the province and had allocated funds for protecting and preserving heritage buildings and other important properties in the province.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 10^th, 2020.