PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE: Following a delay of nearly two decades, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has decided to make its flagship housing scheme, LDA Avenue One, green by initiating horticulture development works, The Express Tribune learnt on Saturday.
An official of the city developer revealed that the authority has given a green signal for horticulture development to change the dry face of LDA Avenue One. The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) has also demanded funds for the work, which will be released from amount earmarked for the purpose following departmental deliberations.
The city developer has recently settled dispute and allotted plots to the owners in the housing scheme after two decades.
A spokesperson for the authority said that six private housing societies had claims over the land of LDA Avenue One. However, by offering them 30% plots equivalent to the land surrendered to the LDA for the scheme, the authority has resolved the longstanding dispute.
The city developer had launched the LDA Avenue One project exclusively for government servants of all ranks and invited applications from across Pakistan in 2002. The project having 10-marla and 1-kanal plots was widely advertised nationwide through media.
Initially, the authority had fixed provisional price of Rs5.4 million for 1-kanal and Rs2.7 million for 10-marla plots. It issued allotment letters to successful applicants following open balloting. Later, the LDA jacked up plots’ prices on pretext of increase in development cost and an additional amount of Rs1.6 million and Rs324,000 was demanded from 1-kanal and 10-marla plot allottees in six equal instalments.
After a delay of around 16 years, the authority handed over possession of over 2,000 plots to the allottees of the LDA Avenue One last year.
In a recent meeting of the LDA’s governing body, it was decided to resolve disputes through negotiations with the private housing schemes in the LDA Avenue One. The authority had offered 30% exemption in lieu of the land to be surrendered by them. Earlier, three out of six schemes had accepted the LDA’s offer, resulting in the availability of 623 plots for giving possession to relevant allottees.
The project was delayed due to mismanagement, litigation and disputes with the private housing schemes in the area. Speaking to The Express Tribune, real estate agents of the area said it was one of the best housing projects of its time, which was backed by the provincial government and the city developer. It drew huge attraction from citizens all over Pakistan. The overseas Pakistanis also expressed their keen interest in the scheme, but soon investors started to lose interest in the project because of sluggish pace of development and litigation.
“Even though it is the LDA’s housing scheme and backed by the government, it took nearly a decade to settle disputes and hand over plots to citizens. Though, following former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif’s intervention most citizens got possession of their plots by 2014, still hundreds of file holders were awaiting their plots because of litigation,” pointed out Muhammad Azeem, a real estate agent in Township.
Following the return of Sharif family from exile in 2007, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif decided to shift from his Model Town residence to Jati Umra, Raiwind. The city developer on the directives of former chief minister Shehbaz Sharif carried out massive development in this area.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 26th, 2020.
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