318 Acres of Jammu and Kashmir state land found encroached in Lahore

A Senate sub committee has raised serious questions over cash based rent collection, alleged irregularities and widespread encroachments

Rs3.3 Million to Rs4.95 Million Rent Value Seen on Encroached Commercial Land

Islamabad: A Senate sub committee has raised serious questions over cash based rent collection, alleged irregularities and widespread encroachments on Jammu and Kashmir State land, with officials telling lawmakers that a case is already pending before the National Accountability Bureau.

The committee, which met at the Parliament House under the chairmanship of Senator Nasir Mehmood, also ordered action against unauthorized use of State land and directed officials to seal an unauthorized marriage hall, submit photographic proof and register a First Information Report if the seal was broken.

The committee was reviewing the rent collection system for properties on Jammu and Kashmir State land and the problem of illegal occupation, with particular focus on transparency, public money, record keeping and enforcement.

Senator Naseema Ehsan questioned officials about reported theft, irregularities and misuse of State property. Officials admitted that irregularity cases had been reported in the past and said one case was pending before NAB. The committee demanded details of these cases and information about any money recovered.

The continued use of cash for rent collection also came under scrutiny. The committee questioned the system and sought complete information about the money collected, when it was deposited, unpaid rent and the tenants responsible for the payments.

Officials said the department manages around 3,160 tenancies. They said original rent receipts are given to tenants while duplicate and cancelled receipts are kept for audit purposes. Manual collections are entered in the Cash Book and deposited through official Treasury challans, while digital payments go directly into authorized accounts.

Officials further said manual receipts, collection statements, Cash Book entries and bank deposit records are cross checked. They also informed the committee that the PayZen system provides automatic reconciliation of digital payments.

The chairman directed officials to provide a five year record of rent collection and its use. The record must include tenant details, rent received, dates of deposits, unpaid amounts and relevant receipts. He stressed that the entire rent system must be properly documented and protected by strong checks.

Encroachments on State land emerged as another major concern. Officials told the committee that the land had been demarcated according to revenue records and geo referenced with help from the Punjab Information Technology Board. Digital maps, including Aks Shajra, were also presented to the committee.

Officials said the total Jammu and Kashmir State property covers 34,616 kanals, equal to around 4,327 acres and one kanal. They identified encroachments covering about 318 acres, eight kanals and nine marlas in Sultanpura and Rehmanpura in Lahore.

The officials said around 7.37 percent of the property in the identified area had been encroached upon. Sultanpura accounts for 153 acres, two kanals and 13 marlas, while Rehmanpura has 165 acres, three kanals and 16 marlas under encroachment.

The financial value of the occupied land also came under discussion. Officials said the indicative rental value, based on fresh tenancy agreements, ranges from about Rs1.43 million to Rs2.86 million for residential areas. For commercial areas, the estimated rent ranges from Rs3.3 million to Rs4.95 million.

The committee was also briefed about illegal construction, disputed tenancy cases, unauthorized use of State land and utility connections in Lahore and Rawalpindi. The committee expressed concern over alleged unauthorized or questionable No Objection Certificates for electricity connections and ordered that the issue be properly investigated.

The chairman directed officials to provide complete records covering land demarcation, tenancy, rent collection and encroachments. He also said the committee would conduct further field visits to check the situation on the ground.

The construction and operation of marriage halls and other commercial activities on State land also drew serious attention. The chairman directed officials to seal the unauthorized marriage hall and provide photographs to the committee. He further directed that an FIR be registered if the seal was violated.

The committee was told that State land was also being used for residential and commercial purposes without payment of proper rent in some cases. Officials said action had been started in several matters and tenancy agreements had been cancelled where necessary.

Senator Nadeem Ahmed Bhutto called for stronger coordination among the departments dealing with State land and encroachments. He sought the presence of senior officials, including the Secretary of the Punjab Government, Commissioner Lahore and relevant Federal Board of Revenue officials, at the next meeting.

The chairman also ordered officials to prepare a separate file containing all letters and correspondence related to encroachments and other State land issues in Lahore and present it at the next meeting.

The committee directed officials to strengthen enforcement and protect State land from unauthorized occupation. It also ordered NAB officials to attend the next meeting and brief senators about relevant cases involving irregularities and encroachments.

The committee also discussed the case of a Patwari connected with one of the matters. Officials said the Patwari had been reinstated through a court order and was currently on leave. The chairman directed that he be brought before the committee at the next meeting to explain his position. Senator Nadeem Ahmed Bhutto also sought details of the case.