Rents and grants: Leased space in Racecourse, Bagh-e-Jinnah under review

PHA board approves tree management plan, regularises contract staff.


Our Correspondent June 27, 2014

LAHORE:


The Parks and Horticulture Authority’s Board of Directors on Friday decided to review the lease agreements of two clubs and a seminary in their next meeting.


The Cosmopolitan Club and the Lahore Polo Club are presently operating from Racecourse Park and the Darussalam operates a mosque, madrassah and a library in Bagh-e-Jinnah.

The Lahore Polo Club has the lease registered in its name since 1981. The Cosmopolitan Club had leased the land from the relevant authority in 1927. It has been paying an annual fee of Rs20,000 to PHA. Darussalam is given an annual grant of Rs300,000 to run the seminary. It has also been given a canteen to rent out to meet its expenses.

On Friday, the PHA’s board of directors met at Racecourse Park. They decided to review the lease agreements for the Lahore Polo Club, Cosmopolitan Club and Darussalam in the next meeting. Some PHA officials said it was likely that the rate of lease for Cosmopolitan Club could be increased and the possible relocation of Lahore Polo Club discussed. However, the officials said, the PHA did not have direct control over the Lahore Polo Club as the land was registered in its name. They would also discuss the annual grant given to Darussalam.

The board also granted approval to the Tree Management Policy for Lahore City and approved a budget for financial year 2014-15. They decided that the department would lay emphasis on indigenous trees and spend a major portion of the budget on tree plantation.

They also decided to consider regularisation of contract staff from grades 1 to 17 as per policy and merit. They decided to encourage private companies to invest in parks.  Considering the added workload, the directors decided to create additional posts of directors, assistant directors and deputy directors in the department.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2014.

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