The National Highway Authority (NHA) Executive Board has decided to take up the matter of land mutation/transfer of Right of Way (ROW) in the name of NHA to Council of Common Interests (CCI) for resolving the issue amicably.
According to official documents, the NHA management has capitalised the land amounting to Rs 49.258 billion till June 30, 2017. However, the value of un-mutated land as on June 30 was amounting to Rs 45.736 billion.
The official sources said that land mutation/transfer is an ongoing process and concerted efforts were made during the last few years to maximise the mutation documentation in the name of the Authority.
The NHA mutated land valued Rs 26.784 billion during 2014-15; Rs 38.439 billion in 2015-16; and Rs 49.258 billion in 2016-17. However, the un-mutated land worth Rs 38.006 billion in 2014-15; Rs 37.078 billion in 2015-16; and Rs 45.736 billion in 2016-17.
The NHA officials said that special efforts have already been made during the last few years to maximise mutation of land in the name of NHA. At the outset of next year's audit, GM (EALS) and all field formations have already been requested to make all-out efforts to mutate acquired land in the name of NHA and adjustment record be provided to Finance Wing for reconciliation and adjustment purposes.
The NHA Executive Board has directed that the matter of land mutation/transfer of RoW in the name of NHA be forwarded to the CCI for its deliberation and subsequent decision to resolve the mutation issue amicably.
It is further recommended that the process of land mutation in favour of NHA should be expedited by the NHA management to capitalise land in the books of accounts of the NHA. The NHA Executive Board also directed the member concerned to mutate the acquired land in the name of NHA within a period of one month positively and a completion report be presented at the board meeting, maintained the documents.
The auditor general of Pakistan in its latest report noted that Rule 20 of chapter 7 of NHA Code (Vol-I) provides that the Land Management Wing will be responsible for carrying out the mutation of acquired land in the name of the Authority.
The audit noted that during the examination of draft financial statements of the NHA for year ended on June 30, 2016, an amount of Rs37.415 billion was transferred for land acquisition but mutation of the land had not been actualised. This resulted in non-mutation of land in the name of NHA valuing Rs 37.415 billion. The audit unearthed that non-transfer/mutation of the acquired land occurred due to non-pursuance of the matter by the NHA Land Management Wing and lack of administrative, financial and internal controls.