KHYBER
Rangar market, constructed on State land in the main bazaar of Landi Kotal, has been allegedly occupied by a private person, TOR said.
Tehsil Officer Regulation (TOR), Landi Kotal Haris Azhar while sharing details said that Rangar market, comprising 92 shops was erected on government land with expenses of more than Rs 52.7 million.
After completion of the building and granting possession to the Tehsil Municipal Authority (TMA) some locals claimed possession of 32 shops and acquired a stay order from the Court.
TMA, Landi Kotal through procedure announced an auction of 60 shops and out of it 25 shops were properly auctioned with a collective sum of Rs 18 millions, he added.
The TOR maintained that in the meantime a private person, Shan Ali forcibly got hold of the market and for the last several months he collected rent Rs 300 per day per shop from it.
Three First Information Reports (FIR) had been filed and two times under 3 MPOs the allegedly criminal had been apprehended but the next day he was released, he opined.
He went on that the TMA officials were threatened repeatedly therefore they were reluctant to regain possession of the market.
Lack of coordination among the government departments deprived TMA of its main source of income, he blamed.
Due to a shortage of income sources, TMA, Landi Kotal were faced with financial crises and affected its efficiency, he said.
Hayat Khan, a grocery seller in Landi Kotal Bazaar said that he got a shop from TMA through auction for Rs.1.655 million rupees and the payment had been paid through bank account but so far possession of the shop had been given to him.
He repeatedly asked the TMA officials to provide him a shop in Rangar but to in avail, he added.
The alleged usruper, Shan Ali and his relatives said that land was their legal property and the government unlawfully constructed a market on it that was unfair.
We will never let TMA, Landi Kotal to collect rent from the shops, erected on their land, he added.
He vowed that they would utilize all available options to get their right back.
When the matter was brought into the notice of the newly posted Assistant Commissioner, Landi Kotal Afraseyab Zubair Hundal he said that after examining its file and discussing with subordinates, the issue would be resolved peacefully.
No one would be permitted to seize state property, he remarked.
