Senate Committee investigates labour colony land purchase scandal

KARACHI, Jan 29 : Senate Standing Committee for Labour and Manpower has taken a serious notice of a recommendation by District Board of Revenue and Sindh Workers Welfare Fund for purchase of land in the city at more than ten times higher cost than the market price and recommended inquiry against concerned officials.

At a meeting here on Friday under the Chairmanship of Mr Naeem Hussain Chatta, the committee rejected the recommendation of the Board of Revenue forwarded by the Sindh Workers Welfare fund for the purchase of 120 acres of land at a colossal cost of Rs 2.7 billion against the market value of Rs16,80,00,000 .

The Senate Committee members visited the site of land near Northern bypass and SITE area of Karachi . The members said the area is not suitable for construction of labour colony as there was neither any factory at present nor there was possibility of any industry in the near future as the site is about 20 kilometres outside the city.

Committee member Mushahidullah Khan described it as a major financial scandal and must be investigated.

Sources said on grilling by the Committee members, officials concerned became nervous and tried to justify their position. The members of the committee posted searching questions as to why they recommended the price of land at the rate of two crore and fifty lakh per acre where as the market value at present of the land is between ten and fourteen lakh per acre.

At this Secretary Labour Sindh Ilmdin Baloo told the committee that the rates were decided by the District Revenue Officer and not by the labour department and that they did not agree with it. He said they have already rejected the recommendation of the district revenue officer and submitted a report to the Federal Government.

Sources said that the deal was being reached to benefit a known business personality of Karachi who is a close friend of an important political personality. The senate committee has demanded for entire record of the proposed deal which will be reviewed at the meeting of the committee on Saturday.

Committee Chairman Senator Naeem Hussain Chatta said they decided to investigate the scandal after going through the media reports. He said the site is not suitable for labour colony.