Rawalpindi: RDA all set to launch drive against encroachment mafia

[Naveed Yaseen]

Operation likely to kick off by end of the month
by Saeed Ahmed
The Rawalpindi Development Authority has finally decided to launch a drive by the end of this month against encroachment mafia that has occupied its land or have constructed property over the land and were not paying compensation to the authority.

RDA Land Development and Estate Department Director Shuja Ali told ‘The News’ that the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Secretary Javaid Mehmood have given green signal to the RDA for vacating land grabbed by encroachment mafia.

He said that RDA would be able to generate billions of rupees as revenue after getting control of its land grabbed by land mafia groups, which would be utilised in different uplift projects in the district. On RDA’s demand, he said the Punjab government would provide services of special magistrate and police force for demolishing the illegal structures.

The RDA during last three months has served notices to the land occupiers and the drive would be kicked off from Saidpur Road, he added.

He told ‘The News’ that besides private parties and some local government institutions have also illegally constructed shops in Sherpao Colony without approaching the RDA in past.

To a query, the land director agreed that RDA would face resistance at the hands of the land occupiers at the time of operation against them. However, he was upbeat that RDA would successfully get its property vacated from occupiers.

To another question, Shuja informed that after serving notices, the residents of number of localities have approached the RDA to get their cases resolved. According to the applicants the owners after constructing the houses over RDA land sold the property to people to save their skin. However, RDA is trying to reach the persons who illegally occupied its land and later on after constructing buildings sold them to other people by hood winking them, Shuja Ali added.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=162218