ISLAMABAD: In its recent drive against cases of the illegal allotment of state land, the Sindh government has cancelled almost 20,000 acres of such allotments.
Sources said that the cancelled land included illegal allotments made by the authorities both in Karachi and other parts of the province.
According to details, the allotment of 8,579 acres leased out to different individuals for 30 years stands cancelled. Almost 3,000 acres of land given to 70 urban villages has also been cancelled.
In another category, approvals in 24 cases involving 5,910 acres of land of the Malir riverbed have also been rescinded. Allotments made in 332 cases involving around 1,252 acres of land by misusing the Section 17 of the Colonisation of Government Land Act 1912 also stand cancelled.
In seven cases, a total of 287 acres of land was allotted on the recommendation of a regularisation committee. This allotment has also been withdrawn. In 22 cases allotment of 523 acres has been cancelled after the authorities found violations of terms and conditions.
Following the anti-corruption drive of the federal authorities, including the Rangers, NAB and FIA in Karachi, the Sindh Board of Revenue had recently sought the cancellation of all illegal allotments of land made in the past.
On the recommendation of the Sindh Land Utilisation Department, the chief minister approved the proposals for undoing the allotment of thousands of precious government lands doled out to influential persons and favourites during these years.
The provincial Board of Revenue had also recommended the abolition of its own Overseeing Committee that was made under Senior Member Board of Revenue (SMBR) in 2010 to approve the cases of land allotment in the name of exchange of land.
