The tale of expanding boundaries

Park View Society illegally occupied, sold 8,000 kanals of Ravi land

The Ravi River Edge Society Phase II (also known as the Parkview Society) is being constructed allegedly on the state land that falls under the jurisdiction of the Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA), Bol News has learnt.

Speaking to this scribe, a senior official of the RUDA said that all the existing housing schemes on River Ravi are illegal as no construction is permitted inside or outside the river as per the RUDA Act and government orders.

Senior officials say that the land under the jurisdiction of RUDA in the proximity of Mohanwal covers approximately 3,000 acres and the boundary of Parkview Society touches the land which is under RUDA’s jurisdiction. “RUDA wanted to establish a state-of-the-art park on this land which is being encroached by the Parkview Society owned by Abdul Aleem Khan.”

“In 2018, the boundary of Parkview Society was somewhere else, but now they have expanded it by grabbing the RUDA’s land this year because they have taken into its boundary, the entire river bank from the rear side of Parkview Society,” a senior official apprised.

He maintained that Parkview made illegal constructions on the land of RUDA, upon which the development authority issued notices to their administration. “After issuing several notices, RUDA took action against the illegal encroachment by Parkview, in which the members of the society attacked the inspection team and subjected them to violence”, he alleged.

The occupied land of RUDA is about a kilometre long which is approximately 8,000 kanals. Parkview Society initially got approval from LDA to acquire only 765 kanals. “They have already sold 8,000 kanals of the encroached land to the public which is the most blatant intent of tacit and deceit,” he added.

A senior LDA official, requesting anonymity, apprised that the authority had repeatedly warned the society against illegal constructions. He maintained that the old name of Parkview Society was Ravi River Edge. The name was approved by LDA and the society was given the NOC for an area of ​​765 kanals only. “Later, they changed the name to Parkview but did not get it registered with the LDA. After that, whatever constructions they have made so far are without any approval”, he added.

“The Parkview Society has taken an injunction from the court against this action, to which the RUDA will submit its response in the High Court”, a senior RUDA official said, showing confidence that the stay of the society will be vacated soon and the encroached land will eventually be recovered.

A senior RUDA official said, “After the court’s decision, not a single building will be allowed as we have repeatedly issued notices to all the illegal schemes, and we would soon start demolishing unlawful construction on River Ravi”. “We have issued public notices in newspapers that they should not be allowed to advertise this scheme anymore,” he added.

Ghulam Rasool is a 60-year-old retired government official who has been living on rent for his entire life. With three children and a wife, he is clueless about the fate of the plot he bought using his entire pension in Ravi River Edge Society. “I am shocked to the core. I received a notice that the scheme is illegal and might be demolished by RUDA.”

It is pertinent to mention that earlier this year on May 6, the owner of the Parkview Society, Abdul Aleem Khan said that he owned 3,000 acres at River Ravi from a third party and none of that land (3,000 acres) was acquired through the government authorities. “Let me tell you categorically that not an inch of that land was owned by the state”, he had claimed.

photos: Mohsin Raza/Bol News