PHOTO: ONLINE
The committee was formed by RDA Director General (DG) Mehr Muhammad Hayat in order to eradicate illegal housing societies in the city.
The committee would be chaired by Hayat, while other members including directors of Town Planning and Traffic Engineering, Admin and Finance, State Management and Engineering as well as Managing Director of Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) will be attending as well. Furthermore, the committee would be responsible for granting permission to construct housing societies once the legal prerequisites have been reviewed. The housing societies will be given authorisation once they have matched the legal criteria by directors of four departments of RDA.
The housing societies will have to show proof of ownership and possession of the land, as well as proof that the property physically existed, while WASA would confirm whether or not water facilities in the housing societies were functioning according to what is needed.
Later, Town Planning and Traffic Engineering Directorate would start the process of planning the society after the permission of planning is granted.
Previously, the owners of housing societies in RDA controlled areas sold additional plots than they were allotted. Moreover, the housing societies were constructed in areas which were deprived of basic amenities; therefore, the buyers could not do any construction despite purchasing the land.
Moreover, the land mafia also looted millions of citizens in the name of fake or non-existent housing societies.
However, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) have been issued for the committee of planning permission.
Sources from RDA disclosed that rules and regulations of planning commission would be very strict and the housing societies would not be given an authorisation without fulfilling the legal criteria.
Construction of housing societies now banned
The RDA has banned the construction of housing societies without proof of legal ownership of land. After the ban, housing societies could not be constructed on lands which lie in the premises of forests or villages.
The ban has been imposed on RDA controlled areas in Murree and Kahuta on the orders of the Supreme Court.
Sources disclosed that the No Objection Certificate (NOC) seekers would have to justify their possession on the land along with the registry and ownership deed of the property.
Furthermore, the prohibition has been made an official part of RDA’s SOPs
Govt employees housing foundation
The executive committee of the Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation (FGEHF) held a meeting under the supervision of Housing and Construction Secretary Imran Zaib. The meeting was attended by housing foundation members and high officials. During the meeting Director General Wasim Hayat Bajwa briefed the committee about the projects of the housing foundation.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 5th, 2019.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ