RDA officials booked in illegal housing societies’ scam

Rawalpindi : The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) has booked some senior officials of the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) for playing with the lives of innocent people. The RDA officials have given permission to start construction of two illegal housing societies named Faisal Margalla City Housing Society and Faisal Hills Housing Society at the place of blasting.

The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) has booked Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) Deputy Director (Planning) Samiullah Khan Niazi and Scheme Inspector Shafqat Mehmood in two cases. The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) has registered two FIRs No.18/20 against the senior officials of planning and land departments of RDA. The corrupt officials of RDA have been booked under Sections of 420, 468, 471, 109 PPC, (5) 2/47.

It is worth mentioning here that Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) Director (Planning) Tahir Meo have used his influence to transfer to Lahore Development Authority (LDA) before Eid only to avoid this scam.

According to details, two illegal housing societies with full nexus of RDA officials have started construction here at blasting areas near Taxila. The environment department had refused to issue any kind of NOC to these illegal housing societies to start construction here at blasting areas. But, RDA without NOC of environment department allowed housing societies to start construction.

According to Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Rawalpindi, owners of the illegal housing societies have also occupied maximum areas of Punjab Forest Department. Faisal Hills Housing Society having total area of 11,823-kanal while Faisal Margalla City Housing Society having total area of 3,771-kanal.

Surprisingly, all booked RDA officers are still working on their seats and at the same positions.

The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Rawalpindi spokesman Amjad Bhatti told ‘The News’ that two FIRs have been registered against some RDA officials in illegal housing society scam. “Investigation is in final stage and after full and final investigation all booked officers would be sent to jail on judicial remand,” he said. He also said that it was a clear direction of Supreme Court of Pakistan that nobody could start construction near mines (blasting areas).”

“The environment department also did not issue NOCs to these illegal housing societies but RDA allowed starting construction,” he said adding several officers of director, deputy director, assistant director and inspector level of RDA planning and land departments would be booked in this scam, he warned.

The reliable sources said that Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) would transfer this case to NAB for further investigation.

Already 203 housing societies operating in Rawalpindi, Potohar Town, Tehsil Administration Murree, Taxila and Gujar Khan have been declared illegal. The RDA has declared 79 housing societies illegal within its jurisdiction, 46 in Potohar Town, 49 in Murree, 24 in Taxila and 5 in Gujar Khan.

The local administration has imposed ban on advertisement and purchase and sale of plots in these illegal housing societies. However, thousands of overseas Pakistanis have made investment in these societies and this robust amount is feared to sink in this scam.