Pindi admin plans action against land grabbers

Property tax to be collected from authorized housing societies across district

RAWALPINDI:

The Rawalpindi district administration has completed its preparations for a grand operation against the land mafia illegally occupying valuable state-owned commercial plots in the city, a spokesperson shared on Sunday.

The operation will be conducted to recover valuable commercial land around Soan River, Korang Nullah, Behti Nadi and Khasra Koth Kalan, the official added.

He told The Express Tribune that Punjab Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) Director General (DG) Gohar Nafees has summoned a report from the Rawalpindi ACU Director over non-progress in a land grabbing case against a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA and his brothers.

Meanwhile, another PTI MPA from Rawalpindi, Abida Bibi, tabled a motion in the Punjab Assembly against unauthorised occupation of state-owned land. In response to it, the revenue department confirmed that the encroached land belonged to the Punjab government since 1900 as per the demarcation survey carried out by the department and survey of Pakistan.

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On the other hand, the official further mentioned that a group of MPAs had also met with the Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar to use political influence and defer the operation. However, ACU has been given strict directions by Prime Minister Imran Khan to carry out an indiscriminate action against the land mafia across the province, the official maintained.

Therefore, Nafees has given the Rawalpindi ACU a week to report the progress over the case registered against the PTI MPA and his brothers.

The official added that lawmakers allegedly-involved in the case have also started contacting members of the bureaucracy to introduce changes in the district administration as a grand operation is set to be launched soon.

Property tax collection drive

The Excise and Taxation Department has decided to impose property tax on owners of residential and commercial buildings in all housing societies that come under the jurisdiction of the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), a spokesperson shared on Sunday. The department has issued orders to property owners in the related housing societies, he added.

Punjab Excise and Taxation Secretary Waqas Mahmood has also issued strict instructions to the Rawalpindi Excise and Taxation director to carry out a survey for property tax of all the approved housing societies across the district, the official maintained.

The director ordered formation of various teams to carry out the survey and collect data in this regard, which is expected to start in February after which property tax will be collected from all owners of properties sized over five marlas, he mentioned.

The inclusion of dozens of approved housing societies in the property tax net across the district is likely to lead to a record increase in the department’s revenue. Mahmood further said that he will visit Rawalpindi again in 15 days to review progress on the matter.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 1^st, 2021.