A committee investigating land acquisition payments in LDA City has found 24 payment vouchers with cutting, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) director general confirmed.
DG Tahir Farooq formed the four-member committee after media reported alleged corruption in LDA City land payments. The committee has summoned the relevant officers and patwaris to record their statements.
Sources in the Land Acquisition Collector (LAC) branch said the patwaris and the LAC told the committee that new vouchers were issued because the amounts on the earlier ones had been written incorrectly.
Media had earlier obtained proof that a land owner received one voucher, followed by a revised voucher allegedly after a “settlement.” Sources in the Land Acquisition Wing said the LDA announced payments at a certain percentage above the DC rate, and the alleged irregularities began there.
They said many land owners were illiterate or unaware of the rules, and no banners at the acquisition site announced the extra payment. Sources said all vouchers with cutting should be investigated to ensure transparency.
The LAC did not answer calls or reply to voice messages seeking comment on the 24 vouchers. The DG said the committee had found 24 vouchers with cutting. “The land acquisition process at the LDA City is now under strict surveillance,” he said.
He added that all previously issued vouchers are being checked and scrutinised, and that the committee will visit the site weekly to review payment records. He said the staff questioned by the committee claimed the alterations were made by mistake.
Asked why patwaris at the LDA had not been transferred, the DG said the move was planned and they would be shuffled soon. The Punjab chief minister recently ordered the transfer of more than 3,000 patwaris across the province.
On a proposal to add QR codes to payment vouchers, the DG said the payment book is an official method and cannot be changed immediately. He said the suggestion would be discussed with the LDA’s IT wing.