‘Mafia’ grabing land on both sides of M9

Revenue dept staff tampers papers against heavy bribes

KOTRI:

With a mushroom growth of housing societies, the so called builder mafia has illegally possessed swathes of land on both sides of Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway M9, according to a number of complaints filed in the local courts.

Deputy Commissioner Jamshoro Captain (Retd) Fariduddin Mustafa has taken notice of the said complaints and instructed the concerned officials to conduct a survey regarding the government land in Thana Bola Khan area and check if the changes in the accounts and records in the revenue department has been made during the recent years.

It is alleged that the staff of the revenue department altered the documents of government land to private property and sold it to the builders after receiving heavy bribes. The victims, who have lost their ancestral land to mega-businesses, have approached the local courts as well as National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for help.

They said that properties on M9 from Nooriabad to Jamshoro are being acquired by builders and developers through strong arm tactics.

Corrupt revenue officials have illegally handed over acres of old villages in different areas including Deh Kalo Kohar, Deh Hatal Path, Deh Babbar Band, Deh Aath Plan to builders and developers.

Following the illegal activity, affected people have decided to move court and also file complaint with the NAB to resolve the issue.

Irshad Ali Junejo, a resident of Deh Hatal Path reached court against the sale of his 80 acres of land to the builder on forged documents.

He said in his application that he owns 80 acres of land in Deh Hatal Path since 1984 but the staff of the revenue department illegally transferred his land to Irshad Ali.

Similar complaint has been sent to the NAB and other concerned departments by Chanaisar Areesar.

He said that the Assistant Commissioner Abdul Qadir, Tehsil Mukhtiar Kar Mumtaz Talpur, Sub Registrar Abdul Hameed Hingoro, Tappeydar Feroz Dawach transferred his 650 acres of land to an influential builder after matching his name with someone and received over Rs600 million in return.

There are many complains of same forgery in Deh Babar Band also where series of selling thousands of acres of land after matching names of owners with others. While in many places government lands have also been acquired through forgery.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th, 2022.