Large swaths of govt land illegally sold in Tirinkot

TIRINKOT (Pajhwok): Some powerful individuals have sold thousands of acres of government land to common people in the capital of central Uruzgan province.

Some time back, a delegation of the Land Authority visited Uruzgan and identified and registered above 8500 acres of state land in Tirinkot, the provincial capital. However, large of swaths of the public land have been usurped by people who have constructed homes and shops on the land.

These people say they had purchased the land and have documents to prove their claim. People have constructed homes and commercial markets on the state land in Shahidano Tapa and Khero Karez areas of Tirinkot.

Haji Ibrahim Jan, who has freshly started constructing four shops in the area, told Pajhwok Afghan News that he had purchased the land from common people and had ownership documents.

He said if the government claimed the land belonged to it, why it did not stop constructions on the land during the past 18 years. “I build a house here three years ago and now I am constructing shops. No government official has so far asked me why I have made constructions. It is clear that the land belongs to local people.”

Mohammad Rassoul, another person, is constructing home on a government land near the provincial civil hospital. He said a resident of Garam Ab area had sold the land on him and he possessed the ownership document.

He said the sellers had only guaranteed that local people would not claim ownership of the land, but there was no mention of the government in the land transfer documents.

Not only local residents have constructed homes and shops on the land, but a number of government buildings like the provincial civil hospital, university, playground, office buildings of five departments and others are situated there.

Civil society activists say the government did not take any action during the past 18 years to stop constructions on its land and now the issue has become a headache for the government.

Activist Javed Khpalwak said had the government taken action to prevent land grabbing years ago, such a large number of houses would not have been built on its land.

The Provincial Council also confirms powerful individuals had sold thousands of acres of government land to common people.

Deputy chairman of the council, Mohammad Karim Karimi, said the non-implementation of the Uruzgan master plan had resulted in unplanned constructions and mixing of government land with private land.

The provincial council secretary, Abdul Karim Khadimzai, said local powerful individuals had usurped thousands of acres of government land and had sold a major part of it to common people.

He said if the government intended to reclaim its usurped land, it should put hand on big land grabbers.

Uruzgan governor Asadullah Saeed the Land Authority delegation had proved there was 8500 acres of government land in Shahidano Tapa and Khero Karez areas of Tirinkot. He said previously it was not known whether the land belonged to the government or people.

He said now the government would act to reclaim its usurped land in the two areas. He acknowledged the government land which had been allocated to public sector offices in Shahidano Tapa area had been encroached upon by local residents and hinted at legal action against them.

ma

Views: 2