ETPB yet to recover Rs1.7bn from tenants: report

LAHORE:The Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) has to recover Rs1.7 billion rent and lease money from its tenants in various districts, as highlighted in an audit report for 2023-24.

Available with The News, a reminder issued by the ETPB Deputy Secretary (Property) to all zonal administrators and relevant officials indicates the board's failure to recover arrears, depriving it of significant revenue streams. The largest outstanding amounts are from Karachi Urban (Rs186.82m), Lahore-I (Rs224.62m), and Sukkur (Rs189.31m).

While the amount in Hyderabad Rs79.73m, Peshawar Rs118.73m, Sargodha Rs45.35m, Rawalpindi Rs79.91m, GujratRs102. 40m, Sukkur Rs189.31m, Bannu Rs39.56m, Karachi (U) Rs186.82, Bhakkar Rs11.06m, Karachi (R) Rs95.58m, Gujranwala RS27.05, Hassanabdal Rs34.38m, Faisalabad Rs42.68m, Lahore-1, Rs64.62m, Sheikhupura Rs10.53m, Multan Rs77,08m, Okara Rs9.99m, Jhang Rs43.17m, Quetta Rs10. 95m, Sahiwal Rs37.05m, Kasur Rs12.30m, Layyah Rs86.47m, Nankana Sahib Rs21.17m, Sialkot Rs42.34m and Bahawalpur Rs8.11m were not paid. The directive emphasised the need for urgent action, urging administrators to expedite recovery efforts and submit progress reports within five days. Despite previous instructions issued in January 2024, no office has provided a satisfactory update. The letter underscored the critical nature of timely recovery to ensure the Board's financial stability and ability to meet operational demands.

Stakeholders await further developments as the Board intensifies its efforts to address this pressing issue. The News reached out to Fareed Iqbal, Secretary of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), for his comments on the issue. However, he stated that he was unaware of the matter and could not provide further details as he was attending a meeting.