BAMYAN CITY (Pajhwok): Officials and residents of central Bamyan province alleged an influential, Haji Ayan, along with other commanders have grabbed hundreds of acres of state land.
Eng. Khadim Hussain Fitrat, the mayor of Bamyan City, the provincial capital, told Pajhwok Afghan News on Monday that Ayan and his colleagues had started offering plots for sell grabbed by residents of the area.
The residents said that Ayan had the grabbed state land and was planning to develop a township and then offer for sell.
Fitrat said a joint commission of municipality, urban development, agriculture and police departments had decided to vacate the land from the influential. The commission had asked the people to stay away from dealing with Ayan or buy his land.
However, police chief Brig. Gen. Khudayar Qudsi said construction work on the state land had been stopped following directions by the commission.
According to the residents, Ayan and his men earned millions of afs by selling over 600 residential plots. A person wishing not to be named said: “I paid 150,000 in advance to buy 20 plots in this township.” 
But Ayan vehemently rejected government claim and said that the land was his family’s property and he had every right to develop the township.
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