‘Tainted’ officials to probe plot scam

Hundreds of fake land owners were included in a list of allottees in Kuri Model Village.

ISLAMABAD: The inquiry to probe irregularities in the process of allotment of plots in Kuri Model Village and agro farms took a new turn after CDA Chairman Imtiaz Inayat Elahi directed the review of Allotment Scrutiny Committee’s (ASC) earlier decisions.

The ASC comprising Member Estate, Member Finance and Member Planning was supposed to ensure transparency in the allotment process, but failed to deliver in what turned out to be “one of the biggest scams of CDA.”

Officials told The Express Tribune that instead of holding the committee responsible for the scam; the chairman directed the same officials to review the ASC’s decisions, who were part of the body previously.

CDA Board in its meeting on Wednesday constituted an inquiry committee to probe the scam. Strangely, the name of Member Estate and Member Planning who are also members of the ASC were included in the probe committee, sources said.

They added that when Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) started investigations, it was expected that senior officials of the authority would also be held responsible for their alleged role, but to counter any such outcome, chairman used his discretionary powers and ordered for review of scrutiny committee’s decision.

Now the inquiry committee comprising three CDA Members, including two suspected officials, would probe the scam.

Earlier, officials of the land directorate were allegedly found involved in making fake allotments during the award of Kuri Village in Zone IV, Sarain/Bokhra villages in Sector I-11/I-12 and some 13 agriculture farms in Chak Shehzad Scheme.  Director Land allegedly, in connivance with CDA top officials and some local politicians, committed irregularities in allotment of plots and some 15 agro farms.

CDA Chairman Imtiaz Inayat Elahi took notice of the corruption reports and transferred the Director of Land Department, Waseem Shamshad, to another department. Shamshad reportedly said that he made controversial allotments following the directions of top officials of the authority.

When contacted, Member Estate SM Farooqui told The Express Tribune that the scrutiny committee was responsible to ensure transparency in the process, “but former director land committed irregularities in the allotments.”

Farooqui said that CDA Board gave approval of awarding land in Kurri Model Village but he reiterated that director land was responsible to ensure transparency in the entire process.

He said that in its recent meeting, CDA Board discussed this issue in details and Farooqui’s name was also included into the inquiry committee. To a query, he replied that scrutiny committee or CDA Board could not be held responsible on the issue.

Member Planning Abdul Jabbar Melano also confirmed that he was part of the inquiry committee to probe the irregularities. An official in the CDA Chairman’s Office told The Express Tribune that to raise objection over inquiry committee was not valid because the committee was conducting a preliminary inquiry.

The civic authority planned to develop Kuri as a model village. The land directorate approved the names of over 4,000 people to whom the authority had to provide plots in the scheme after its development.

But the names of hundreds of fake land owners were included in the compensation list. CDA Board a few days back cancelled 13 agro farms on the basis of fake allotments.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd, 2010.