NAB seeks Gulistan-e-Sarmast record

People still waiting for plots in low-cost housing scheme launched in 2009

HYDERABAD:

The inordinate delay in completion of the mega housing project of Hyderabad Development Authority (HDA), Gulistan-eSarmast Housing Scheme, has once again drawn the attention of the National Accountability Bureau. For the second time in over a fortnight the NAB Karachi has sought a complete range of details pertaining to that low-cost housing project, consisting of more than 33,000 plots, from the authority with a call-up notice for January 4, 2024. A team of NAB had also visited the office of HDA on December 14 and collected details of the scheme as well as of other residential and commercial projects of the authority.

"The competent authority has taken cognizance of an offence committed by the officers and officials of HDA," reads a letter written to the authority's DG by Raheel Ameer, Deputy Director Coordination of NAB. "... the subject inquiry regarding corruption and corrupt practices by cheating the public at large and embezzlement of funds has revealed that your office is in possession of information/evidence which relates to the commission of the said offence."

The scheme in question is located on Ganjo Takkar mountain in Kohsar, Latifabad. It was launched in 2009 and even after more than 14 years, the infrastructure is too far away from completion. The bureau has sought the details like the scheme's approval from the Sindh government, acquisition of land, layout plan and revised layout plans. The authority will also have to submit information regarding terms and conditions for allotment and auction of residential, commercial and amenity plots, along with a break-up of the plots in each category with the sizes.

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The bureau required information about the marketing company which was engaged for the advertisement, booking and recovery along with a copy of the agreement signed by the two sides. The authority will also have to brief the bureau about the procedure adopted to hire that company and the amount of service fee paid to it.

Thousands of plots were cancelled after the booking due to non-payment of installments, only to be resold in phases II and III. The HDA put up to sale around 3,000 plots in the phase IV in 2020 and received advance payments from the prospective buyers. However, the transaction never materialized and tens of millions of rupees of the public are still stuck with the authority.

The NAB, which has reportedly received complaints in this regard, has also demanded information about the cancelled plots. The holistic details of the bank accounts related to the collection of revenue against the plots and expenditure on the housing scheme in its entirety as well as of the expenses which have been incurred from Gulistan-e-Sarmast's funds on other works of the HDA have also been required.

The HDA will have to submit a year-wise breakup of the collection and expenditure of funds of Sarmast as well as the pending dues and recoveries since the scheme's inception. The names of all the director generals of HDA, project directors of Sarmast and the other officers and staff who remained associated with the project have also been sought. The authority will have to tell about the current status of the project and the reason for the successive delays in its completion along with litigation details. The NAB has also demanded evaluation of the current market value of the project's land, payments made to purchase that land and the outstanding dues.