Encroachment on PR land worth billions found

Revenue records kept with headquarters differs significantly from the ones maintained at divisional levels, AGP report

LAHORE:

The Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has disclosed encroachment of the properties of the Pakistan Railways worth billions of rupees in all the eight divisions of the department.

The report said the railways land had been encroached by the land mafia in collusion with the Land Department and the railway police. The report pointed out that Railways Land Department was working with very little staff.

“During audit of Property & Land Department, Headquarters office, Lahore in March 2020, it was observed that despite avowed anti-encroachment campaigns, additional 9,982.72 kanals of Railway land went under encroachment,” the report said.

The report mentioned the encroached land in Barlab Canal in Lahore, Landhi Bachat Bazaar in Karachi, Women University in Quetta Division, Railway Cooperative Society in Hyderabad and railway land in Peshawar Division and other areas.

“Unfortunately, audit observed that the revenue records kept with headquarters differed significantly from the ones maintained at divisional levels,” the report pointed out.

“Both of the earlier mentioned records differed with the ones maintained at section level,” it added. “A comprehensive re-survey of PR properties can serve as a foundation stone for reformation of land management in PR.”

The railways, the report said, being a very old organisation had properties mostly in the hearts of old commercial areas. DC rates, it added, being basis for valuation and assessment, were disadvantageous to PR.

The audit found out instances of leasing at rates lower than the DC rates. “The Department should have market survey of its own to re-assess the rates and then a robust application mechanism for implementation of those rates.”