This is one of the biggest reasons for PR destruction once a profitable organization till mid seventies now in complete shambles. One general created NLC to take away market share of freight, the most profitable business of railways, diverted railway improvment funds to that corrupt organizaition to bribe military officials and another general grabbed the key railway lands to block the future expansion again to bribe military officials. Only the middle class and poor masses have suffered on these corrupt policies.
Army scheme encroached upon PR land, PAC told
http://www.dawn.com/2011/01/26/army-scheme-encroached-upon-pr-land-pac-told.html
ISLAMABAD: Over eight acres of prime railway land was encroached upon by an army housing scheme in 2002 near the Military dairy farms in Rawalpindi, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was informed on Tuesday.
The housing scheme agreed to pay Rs55,000 per marla to the Railways in accordance with a decision of the Auditor General`s office, but the amount had yet to be paid.
“I myself am ready to pay Rs500,000 per marla in that area,” PAC chairman Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said.
He criticised the railway authorities for giving prime land in the heart of the city at a throwaway price. “I am pretty sure that this case does not involve the Army itself, but it is the DHA that is operating with the land mafia.”
However, railway officials said the Army had intervened in the matter and was offering a deal to settle the case by exchanging land.
“They want this land and are offering to give army`s land near the Lahore Dry Port,” Railway Secretary Shahid Raja said.
When the members of the committee expressed concern over their failure to manage the department`s assets and squandering opportunities to earn from them, railway officials said that they faced persecution and mistreatment whenever the authorities concerned were approached to settle land issues.“
It is odd to tell you how the men with guns behave with our officers,” the secretary said. “We are trying to negotiate various land issues with the Army and Rangers, but it takes time.”
His reply silenced the committee and the chairman assured the Railways of his backing on the matter.“
There is not a law of the jungle in Pakistan. If any department says that they have guns then we are ready to face them. We will bring them here for hearing also,” he said.
Chaudhry Nisar expressed his anger over the attitude of army personnel and said parliament was supreme.“
And most important of all, nobody is above the law. It must be made clear that we are not operating in isolation and for the first time in the history of the country the PAC has the backing of both the government and the opposition.”
Highlighting the achievements of the PAC, he said nobody was afraid of serving or retired officers of any group.
The committee was also informed that misappropriations by two former chairmen of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and the National Highway Authority, both retired generals, had been exposed at its meetings.
While hearing objections raised by the Auditor General against the Railways, the committee was informed that large tracts of land had either been illegally occupied or were being misused by the Rangers and the Army.
It was informed that the Rangers and the army had rented out a large area allocated to them to develop strategic forests.
The PAC was informed that 36.25 acres had been leased to Pakistan Rangers for Rs 60,750 per annum, but they had illegally occupied another five acres.
It was informed that 438.36 acres had been handed to the Rangers in 1998 for strategic forestry, but a portion of the land had been rented out for agriculture.
In another case, the Rangers were given 5.62 acres at Rs22,500 per annum in central Punjab and leased out another 5.25 acres at Rs20,105 per annum, but they illegally occupied an additional 1.94 kanals.
The committee`s members observed that the lease amount was very low and parts of the land were being used for commercial and agricultural activities.
The Army was leased 15 pieces of land measuring 525.5 acres in Sheikhupura sub-division, but it sub-leased the area to various parties for farming.
The Janbaz force has been occupying the Railway Club in Khanewal since 1978 and the Railway Hospital in Bahawalnagar.
The chairman said: “We are planning to devise a strategy so that there are budget cuts for departments that fail to pay their dues.”
It was decided that the PAC would issue letters to the armed forces and the provincial governments, asking them to settle the land issue within three months. Otherwise, the PAC will include them in the audit hearings.