An investigation by the government, on complaints filed by flood victims, has revealed that at least 12 families have sold houses allotted to them in a model village constructed by the government in district Dera Ghazi Khan.
The village constructed in Rakh Dol Abrain at a cost of Rs70 million has 100 houses for families with an average of six members.
The village has basic amenities-a hospital, a higher secondary school, biogas, markets, parks and electricity generated through solar panels.
Each house has a standard area of six marlas and is furnished. Safe drinking water is piped to all homes.
Residents of the village filed a complaint with the district administration last month stating that people had been selling homes and moving back to their villages by the river. The investigation revealed that houses had been sold for Rs230,000 to Rs300,000.
A resident, Mohammad Sharif, said, “Haji Bilal has bought two houses and Rahim has bought three. These houses were allotted to homeless flood victims but people have been buying and selling houses openly.”
Kot Chatha sub-district Assistant Commissionar Qamaruz Zaman Qaiserani on February 28 cancelled the allotment of families who had sold their homes and ordered the new occupants to vacate them.
Muhammad Bilal, who had allegedly sold his house, told The Express Tribune that he had been wrongly accused.
“I was allotted this house and have been living here since. I obtained stay orders from the Multan High Court on March 2 because I had been told to vacate my home.”
Haji Bashir, another resident os the area, told The Express Tribune that two of the families that had sold the houses returned to the village out of fear of legal action against them.
He said Muhammad Bilal and Jummah Khan had returned to the village with their families after the government took action.
Ten families that had sold similar houses have fled from the area.
Ghulam Fareed, a resident, said, “No one wants to leave this area, it is better even than urban housing schemes because we have all the facilities we need.”
Dera Ghazi Khan DCO Ifitikhar Ali Sahoo said they had conclusive proof against the 12 families who had sold their homes. They had signed a contract with the government promising not to sell the houses, he said.
A resident said these people had not been affected by the floods. They received allotments because they used political contacts, he said.
“We do not want our village to become politicised or commercialised this way,” said a resident who had filed a complaint against the 12 families at Jhok Utarra police station.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 6th, 2013.