LDA to spend Rs250m on roads and hockey stadium

WASA to recruit three new directors, 15 deputy directors.

LAHORE:

The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has approved spending of some Rs250 million on various road development projects and a hockey stadium in Johar Town.

In a meeting here on Monday, the LDA governing body also decided to abandon plans for a new housing scheme on Raiwind Road, and to hire new directors and deputy directors for the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA).

The governing body approved a Rs58 million project for the widening and improvement of the 1.5-kilometre road from Bhogiwal Road to China Road, Gujjarpura Scheme, for the benefit of 35,000 vehicles that use the road daily. The dual carriageway will be widened to 20-feet wide on each side within three months.

It also approved a Rs53.2 million project for the improvement of Palwama Chowk/Channar Chowk near Adda Plot, Raiwind Road, for the benefit of residents of private housing schemes situated along the road.

The governing body decided to spend Rs138.92 million on the laying of synthetic turf, installation of flood lights and other facilities at the hockey stadium being built in Johar Town.

The meeting allowed the procurement of 600 school-chairs, at a cost of Rs3 million, from the Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) for six models schools run by the LDA.

The LDA decided to withdraw a notification issued under Section 13(3) of the LDA Act, 1975 and Section-4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 for the acquisition of land for a new housing scheme (LDA Avenue-II) proposed to be developed at 1,100 kanals on Raiwind Road, after the land owners expressed little interest in selling.

WASA recruitment

In view of a shortage of directors at WASA and as officials from other departments were unwilling to serve at the agency on deputation, the LDA governing body approved a proposal for the promotion of three WASA officers to directors, in place of three of the five posts available for directors sent on deputation. It also approved the recruitment of 18 new officials.

Briefing the meeting on the proposal, WASA Administration Director Muhammad Irfan said that the agency planned to hire three directors and 15 deputy directors in specialist fields. The candidates would be shortlisted for interview after screening by the National Testing Service (NTS), he said. The recruitments would have no financial impact on WASA, he said, as the vacancies would be filled after abolishing posts that had been left vacant for a long time and filled by officers on deputation.

The governing body decided to forward recommendations to the Punjab government for the capacity building of the Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency; and to adopt a Finance Department notification for the inclusion of a 7 percent cost of living allowance in pensions.

The meeting was chaired by LDA Chairman and District Coordination Officer (DCO) Noorul Amin Mengal, while Commissioner Jawad Rafiq Malik attended as a special guest. LDA Vice Chairman Amir Asgher Dar, WASA Vice Chairman Haji Muhammad Sharif, TEPA Chief Engineer Saeed Akhter, LDA Chief Engineer Asrar Saeed, representatives of the Local Government, Housing, Planning and Development and Finance Departments, and administrators of the nine constituent towns of the city also attended the meeting.

Transfer ban

Also on Monday, the LDA director general imposed a ban on the transfer of all officers serving in the Commercialisation, Recovery and Building Control sections of the Town Planning Wing. He said their official duties could not be reassigned without his approval.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 1^st, 2012.