HYDERABAD: Matiari Deputy Commissioner Lal Dino Mangi is reported to have sought Rs1bn from the provincial government for disbursement among stakeholders against acquisition of their lands for the Sukkur-Hyderabad (M6) section of motorway.

Such request is said to have been sent to the Senior Member Board of Revenue (SMBR), Karachi, and Hyderabad Commissioner a few days back.

The DC has urged them to arrange the required funds through bridge financing for smooth and timely completion of the land acquisition process in Matiari district.

It was Matiari district first where over Rs2bn alleged embezzlement was reported in Sindh Bank in October 2022 and the then chief secretary Dr Mohammad Sohail Rajput swiftly moved to get a fact-finding done through revenue and finance department officials.

Tells finance department, BoR motorway has to be completed without further delay

During a probe into the multibillion rupees scam, then Matiari deputy commissioner Adnan Rashid, New Saeedabad assistant commissioner Mansoor Abbasi and several Sindh Bank officials were arrested and a handsome amount out of the embezzled funds was recovered.

Officers flouted law

The amount under land acquisition proceedings was disbursed by the officers concerned without passage of the Award, as is required under the Land Acquisition Act (LAA) of 1894. The massive embezzlement had prompted then CS to ask finance department officials to shift the remainder of the funds, which were available with private banks, to the government treasury in order to secure the money. An amount of over Rs2.423 billion was shifted to the treasury from land acquisition officer’s account.

In his request for Rs1bn bridge financing, DC Mangi has cited a decision taken by a committee, formed by Sindh government on Jan 27, to remind the Services, General Administration and Coordination Department (SGA&CD) secretary on Sept 12, 2023 about the pending disbursement. The latter advised him to approach the Senior Member BoR on the issue maintaining that the then CS wanted the bridge financing process to be initiated by the SMBR.

Around Rs553.766m out of an estimated Rs4-5 billion was disbursed among small land owners without following the relevant procedure laid down in the Act.

Recoveries by NAB

Besides the disbursed amount, Rs2 billion was recovered by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from the accused/co-accused, who were arrested in court and are now facing a reference filed against them in an accountability court.

The recovered amount would be provided to Sindh government after completion of trial and due formalities. Pending the amount’s handing over, the DC Matiari has requested that Rs1bn should be made available for completion of land acquisition proceedings in his district.

NHA had released Rs15.23bn

Hyderabad commissioner had chaired a review meeting on October 2 regarding M6. According to the minutes of that meeting, NHA authorities were urged to take over possession of 631-26 acres of land falling in Matiari taluka from the district administration.

In view of the minutes, DC Mangi urged the commissioner that NHA should also be requested to release Rs1.5bn against estimated cost of land which was still in pipeline. He said that after issuance of notification under Section 6 read with Section 17 of the LAA, 1894, by commissioner, the land acquisition collector of Matiari taluka was supposed to hand over possession of the land to the acquiring agency within 15 days after publication of the said notification. If the delay persists, then the acquiring agency would have to pay 15pc urgency charges as well as multiple interests etc.

NHA sources said that Rs15.23bn had been released to Sindh government or deposited in banks of the districts concerned as was required where land was to be acquired. Only Matiari and Naushahro Feroz districts witnessed the massive land scam last year. Of Rs15.23bn, Rs5.7bn was to be disbursed among land owners by the revenue authorities and Rs9.53bn was to remain in balance.

How the scam unfolded

According to one NHA source, Rs4.09bn was deposited in the account of Matiari DC. The land acquisition officer concerned had withdrawn Rs2.3bn (without passage of the award by the officer concerned) from Sindh Bank in Matiari last year through 478 open cheques. Another amount of Rs1.87bn was withdrawn by the land acquisition officer through 385 cheques under ‘self/cash’ transaction in connivance with certain Sindh Bank officers.

The 70-km stretch of M6 falls in three talukas of Matiari district whereas its 64km strip would pass through three talukas of Naushahro Feroz district.

An amount of Rs3.61bn was deposited in the account of Naushahro Feroz district and Rs3.4bn was disbursed, without fulfilling requirements of the LAA, through 853 open cheques. Then Naushahro Feroz DC Tashfeen Alam Khan had left the country soon after the scam in Matiari was unearthed. He had deposited the funds in a commercial bank contrary to NHA’s directive to keep them in National Bani of Pakistan or Sindh government’s treasury.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2023