The enforcement team of Multan Development Authority (MDA) has succeeded in demolishing various illegal constructions during series of operations launched against encroachments in different parts of the city including Sher Shah road, Tehsildar Mor to Mill Phattak bypass road near Head Naubahar.
It has demolisehd dozens of illegal installations in the past few days. The enforcement cell escorted by a heavy contingent of police faced heavy resistance during an operation on Bosan Road, Chungi number 9, Rasheedabad, Chowk Kumharaanwala, MA Jinnah, fruit and vegetable market, Qasimpur Colony roads while clearing paths and pavements surrounded by the encroachers. Taking action on the complaints received through the Pakistan Citizen Portal, Director General MDA Agha Muhammad Ali Abbas directed the officers to launch an operation on the Double Phattak Chowk, New Shah Shams Colony, Kumharanwala Chowk flyover and green belts. Expressing resolve to treat encroachers with an iron hand, the DG said these were not only creating hurdles in uninterrupted traffic flow, but also damaging beauty of the city at large. Despite regular operation initiated against encroachment mafia, it has not been yet removed completely. Sometimes, it appears to have been pivoted as a constant phenomenon that is never going to be dismantled from the society for good. Director Town Planning (DTP) MDA stated in this regard that since 2019, there have been 204 residential colonies marked as illegal in different parts of the district.
At least 23 out of 204 colonies are fixed with heavy fine, while cases of the rest of 181 left pending for the last about three years after getting sub-judice since their owners have moved to the court, he said. Worse of the matter is that there is no system available to restrict buyers from purchasing property in the illegal residential colonies.
“It is a two-way agreement reached out between the owner and the buyer,” said Deputy Director Enforcement MDA Mohsin Raza. However, he said they had written a letter to the Revenue Department to impose ban on the sale, purchase of plots in unapproved residential area. But unfortunately buyers don’t get aware of illegality of the colony. They know when they have paid out the entire amounts the owner to retain the property’s ownership. According to him, the practice could be hampered unless some applications were created which are not yet under consideration.
PRO and Deputy Director Urban Planning-1 Muhammed Ashraf, responding to a query made through the RTI’s submission, said MDA regularly issues advertisements to trace illegal installations through local newspapers. He said action used to be taken out against them under the given rules and regulations. In past, cases of many illegal installations were resolved by collecting legal commercial dues which could not get submitted to the authority, it is said. The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Multan claimed to have initiated regular enquires into the alleged illegal construction found across the district. Sources also claim that some officers have allegedly been involved in allowing buildings to be constructed without seeking formal approvals. This has cost heavy revenue losses to various departments in the city. Municipal laws for building residential occupation or commercial entity are notified by the government time to time under the respective section of the commercialization Rules/Land use Rules of the Authority. It included as submitting building plans to the authority for obtaining approval to hold structure first, constitution of commercialization committee to approve building plans, submitting copy of deposited commercial fee challan respectively and later final approval is given by Deputy Commissioner in its ‘high-level’ meeting arranged almost every month.
PRO MDA Javed Bukhari said unfortunately the ratio of colonies building was increasing in northern parts of the district which were rich in greenery instead of plane areas of the southern region. Such kind of de-forestation causes numerous problems like spreading pollution, increasing temperature. However, he said they could not restrict the builders to initiate their schemes after following entire rules to carry out the project. Moreover, he said it affects the very drive of Clean And Green Pakistan initiated at national level. As for as people’s investment in illegal settlements is concerned, DTP maintained that there’s as such no mechanism evolved to refrain an individual from buying property into the disputed settlement. It comes to responsibility of respective buyer to ensure legal status of the commercial entity before heading for investment, he said.
