HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Development Authority (HDA) is currently cash strapped to the extent that it has been unable to pay salaries of its own staff and employees of its subsidiary, Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa), for many months but a long list of pricey plots having been doled out to scores of government functionaries without caring for the relevant rules makes one to believe that the unlawful practice is actually the main cause of the Authority`s financial constraint.

HDA`s successive director generals not only doled out the plots to others but themselves as well, the of ficial documents reveal.

The most blatant violation of rules seems to have been committed by outgoing DG Mohammad Sohail, who was posted on a cadre post despite being a non-cadre of ficer in violation of a Supreme Court order. His predecessor remained beautification-centric for unsustainable beautification measures at the cost of public money.

Supreme Court, while hearing a Malir Development Authority (MDA)land case, had removed Muhammad Sohail as its DGin 2016.

He was holding its look-after charge. Having been posted in HDA, he used to take actions without seeking approval from the Authority`s governing body. He also got his confidantes from Karachi posted in the HDA to have smooth sailing and gain control of HDA`s finances and Wasa`s affairs. He got Wasa manager Zahid Khemtio transferred.

The HDA records show that Mr Sohail got a rest house on rent in prime location of Hyderabad for his temporary stay and spent aconsiderably heavy amount of money on fittings and furnishing.

Before his transfer on May 18, he doled out HDA`s 600, 400, 240, 120 square yards plots worth millions of rupees to many bureaucrats, government and police of ficers without going for mandatory open auction. The `Sindh Disposal of Urban Land Ordinance 2002` says that `no plot or flat site shall be disposed of except by open public auction at a price not less than the market price`. However, Mr Sohail said: `This law doesn`t apply to us`.

The list shows that 29 plots were especially carved outin a public sector scheme to accommodate Local Government Secretary Najam Shah, Hyderabad DIG Pir Mohammad Shah, Commissioner Nadeemur Rehman Memon, Deputy Commissioner Fuad Soomro and SSPSajid Sadozai. The income thereof would otherwise have earned by the cash-strapped HDA and Wasa.

The list includes 24 others e.g. former Wasa managing director Zahid Khemtio, an additional DC Hyderabad, an assistant commissioner, a mukhtiarkar and an additional deputy commissioner, who were given 400 sq-yds plots. The beneficiaries also included those who got 240 sq-yds and 120 sq-yds plots according to the same list which has been confirmed by the outgoing DG, Mohammad Sohail, while speaking to Dawn. He said `only provisional challans against the plots` payment are issued to officers. A final decision will be taken by HDA`s governing body`.

Others who got favour this way included staf f of the Hyderabad DC, two HDA officers andsome section of ficers of the LG department.

This reporter sent messages to LG Secretary Najam Shah, Commissioner Nadeemur Rehman Memon and DIG Pir Mohammad Shah on their mobile phones to ascertain as to how they got the plots (whether by applying for one or in response to the DG`s offer and under which law) but none opted to respond.

Inquiries by Dawn revealed that plots for the 29 beneficiaries were carved out in the Gulshan-i-Quaid scheme near a stormwater drainoftheCivilAviationAuthority(CAA).A reliable real estate agent said: `We have learnt that 80-90 plots have been created in this strip`.

MrSohailhadconfirmedthelistwhiletalking to Dawn over phone and argued that since HDA employees had already obtained their quota, these plots were being given to these functionaries for which provisional challans had been issued.

When asked about his authority to allot these plots to them, he quoted the clause-III, section-9, chapter-II of the HDA Act 1976 which says that the `Authority (HDA) may dispose any land or other property vested in it by sale, lease, exchange or otherwise`. He argued that the beneficiaries came from HDA`s allied departments.

All these clauses in section-9 were `subject to general or special directions of government`. On the basis of it, the author of a brief unsigned and undated note submitted to the DG has assumed on his own that `the authority is empowered to allot a plot`. The DG shared this note with this reporter on WhatsApp to defend his action of the allotments.