LAHORE, Sept 30: The National Accountability Bureau is investigating the affairs of eight housing societies on the charges of pocketing millions of rupees primarily through 'fraudulent sale of land'.

The societies whose managements have allegedly committed gross irregularities are: the Wapda Officers and Employees Housing Society (Muridke), the Punjab Small Industries Employees Cooperative Housing Society, the Punjab Board of Revenue Employees Cooperative Housing Society, the Engineering Town Housing Scheme, the Anwaar Housing Scheme, the Green View Cooperative Housing Society, the Employees Cooperative Housing Society and the Sargodha Cooperative Housing Scheme, all these are in Lahore.

Earlier, the NAB had stopped taking up fresh cases of the housing societies in which financial irregularities were reported because of financial crunch. "Despite the lay-offs of a large number of its employees (due to financial constraints), NAB Punjab Director-General Shahnawaz Badr has ordered that the housing cell of the bureau is fully activated to receive the fresh complaints relating to irregularities in cooperative and private housing societies," NAB (Punjab) Director Investigation Farooq Hameed told Dawn.

"The aim is to keep providing relief to the victims and to prosecute those involved in financial irregularities", he added.

The NAB has received complaints against the managements of these housing societies regarding misuse of authority, illegal sale of land, fake files (sold to members), files/plots fictitiously carved out of the land owned by neighbouring societies, town planning not approved by the competent authorities, illegal sale of even parking area (in some cases), misappropriation of funds, transparency not maintained in expenditure of funds deposited, plot allotted but possession not handed over and disputed title of land.

Besides, the procedure and process of transfer of land, allotment letters and sale receipts have been changed, making the documents' authenticity of the old and new members doubtful and the managements also do not have proper record or the list of their members.

The NAB officer said the inquiries\investigations in this regard were in progress and those involved in the fraud were having their names on the Exit Control List (ECL).

“After completion of the investigation, reference will be filed accordingly", he concluded. — Zulqernain Tahir