Daily Times

KARACHI: The Sindh government has been suffering loss of billions of rupees as majority of the cooperative societies, who have been granted major pieces of government lands, are not paying ground-rent and mutation fees since the past couple of years.

The authorities of the cooperative in connivance of sub-registrars are also illegally involved in dealing land matters without maintaining proper documentation with the offices of concerned Mukhtiarkars, insiders told Daily Times.

According to sources, the Karachi Administration Employees Cooperative Housing Society possesses excess government land against their allotted 140 acres which is clear violation of the agreement. Besides, it has not paid the ground rent to the government which has caused loss of millions to government exchequer.

Even with malafide intentions, the said society has also not updated the record of its members and allottees with the office of the landlord i.e. office of the Collector Deputy Commissioner East Karachi. Keeping in view the above prescribed violations and contraventions, the office of the undersigned issued several notices to the management of the society but the reply of society was inadequate as well as unsatisfactory, sources added.

In this regard, Mukhtiarkar Ferozabad Karachi East was directed to calculate the accurate ground rent fixed by the government from time to time as mentioned in the lease agreement and recovery notices were issued immediately Under Section 81 of the Sindh Land Revenue Act-1967. Despite lapse of many weeks, the society has still not paid the dues amounting to Rs 124.886 million.

When contacted, Deputy Commissioner, East Karachi Asif Jan Siddiqui told Daily Times that the society is bound to abide by all the terms and conditions of grant as per agreement and the Collector is empowered to regulate the same conditions as per Land Revenue Act 1967 and the Colonization Act 1912.

“Various societies have violated the terms and conditions of the grants, possess/leased out excess government land against their allotted land and are not updating the record of rights with the revenue department. With collusion of Sub-Registrars, they (societies) are executing the lease deeds, sub-lease and sale deeds and not mutating the same with the office of concerned mukhtiarkars. Such transgressions and malpractices adopted by these societies are causing huge financial losses to the Sindh government exchequer”, DC Asif Jan added.

“I have forwarded a letter to Senior Member, Board of Revenue, Government of Sindh to convene a meeting with all Deputy Commissioners of Karachi Division, Cooperative Department and IG Registration to ensure the recovery of dues from the societies, besides a proper mechanism to be worked out to update the societies’ record with revenue department”, Asif Jan Siddiqui informed.