90 percent of housing schemes in KP are illegal: PDA
By: S.K. Sami
Peshawar: The known real estate marketing company in Peshawar, Star Marketing Private Limited has duped hundreds of people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, selling an illegal housing society with the name of “Canal Views” near University Towen at Nasir Bagh Road, Peshawar. According to details, the firm having deceived hundreds of citizens by offering huge discount and has sold out plots to them on cash and installments. The effected clients told to Country News that the firm is not welling to transfer the plots on to their names which they have purchased and number of clients lodged complaints in National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Peshawar on which the NAB office had ordered the banks to freeze all bank accounts of Star Marketing. The buyers have said that they are about 300 persons who became prey of this scam due to which they are being humiliated for the last two years as having no ownership of any land in reciprocity of their payments. They added that collectively they have deposited billions of rupees to Star Marketing as the housing society was being portrayed and promoted on various media sources the plotting scheme is still not legalized. The Department of Irrigation, Environmental Protection Agency of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Peshawar Development Authority have not issued NOC to the housing scheme while the company illegally sold out to them, the clients said.
The Chairman of Star Marketing Mr. Wasiq Naeem was tried to be contacted for his version to the above grievances of effected people but he did not respond. The Regional Director of company Mr. Yasir Rasheed was interviewed in his office who told that Star Marketing have been detained many times, and if their customers face any hurdles in transferring plots will be due to concerned government authorities and institutes. The company representative said that if they failed to resolve the issue, they will return the payments of customers. When he was asked about the devaluation of amount hanged with the firm for two years, he replied that they have onward paid to the land owners and the firm has nothing of clients as they were just marketing the property for the actual owners. Mr. Yasir on behalf of the company mentioned that they are fully devoted with struggle to resolve the issue and they are optimistic for NOC and other related to the project.
The Deputy Director, Private Housing Societies of Peshawar Development Authority (PDA), Mr. Dawood Shah said that many illegal housing societies are being marketed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as in jurisdiction of Peshawar Development Authority, having no NOCs but can transfer the plots to their prospective owner as the PDA has no power to stop the transferring process. He furthered that the power of this office is limited to the notices and no more. As many time wrote to the Deputy Commissioner for not transferring the land in such illegal housing schemes but due to a little amount of revenue generation by tax collection the practice is still going on, and no cooperation from those concerned bodies in respect of eradication of this unlawful business, he mentioned. The official added that Star Marketing and its builder do not urge to transfer ownership to the clients otherwise Non Objection Certificate was not hurdle in the way of transfer, he cleared. About the NOC of the scheme he told that the file of the Canal View has even not been presented to the scrutiny committee yet because having many deficiencies in its requirements and documentation. Dawood Shah also revealed that Canal View had been issued a bogus NOC from Town-3 by unfair means, on the basis of that Star Marketing advertised its project and accumulated billions of rupees from innocent people. According to documents the Assistant Director of Peshawar Development Authority, Mr. Dawood Shah lodged FIR against the land owners of property for violating PDA Act.
The financially effected citizens have warned that if the firm failed to transfer the plots, whey will stage protest and will take stay order from court on all the projects of Star Marketing in the country. They demanded from government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to take action against such marketing companies and to stop promotion of illegal societies.
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