LDA directed to speed up land acquisition process

LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Housing Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed has directed the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) to speed up the land acquisition process to meet the deadline set by the apex court for handing over plots to LDA City file-holders.

Presiding over a meeting related to the LDA City on Wednesday, the minister directed the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) to establish a site office within the two days and depute necessary staff so that land owners could directly present their land to the authority for sale.

He indicated due to minor negligence, the authority could miss the deadline set by the Supreme Court of Pakistan and delay delivery of plots to 9,000 file-holders, who had invested in the scheme. He also directed the authority to provide a layout plan of land to development partners so that they could initiate development works at the earliest.

LDA Director General Amna Imran Khan briefed the minister about ongoing works of the LDA City. She said that the apex court had given eight months for completion of all development of the project. The countdown started from January 21. As per direction of the court, the authority would submit a detailed report of development activities to the apex court on a monthly basis, she said. Khan added that to restore the public confidence in LDA's schemes the authority had to complete the project in a minimum possible time.

LDA Additional Director General Urban Planning Rana Tikka Khan told the meeting participants that LDA's development partners had already handed over possesions of 243 kanals of land to the authority. They had also presented documents of another 234 kanals of land to the authority. He said that for quick transfer of these lands in the name of city developer a focal person had been nominated in Sub-Registrar Office, Nishtar Town.

LDA Chief Engineer Mazhar Hussain Khan said that for speedy initiation of development works in Development Area 1, consisting of 130,000 kanals of land, the authority had invited applications from developers and contractors for their pre-qualification till February 16.

Last month, the apex court ordered the constitution of a committee to ensure the provision of land or payment of compensation to the file-holders of the LDA City. The court had issued this directive during a suo motu hearing at the Lahore registry. Former Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mian Saqib Nisar, warned that if the LDA City case did not concern widows and orphans, then all bureaucrats involved and owners of the development companies would have been in jail.

The counsel representing the LDA City project, Advocate Ahsan Bhawan, told the court that development companies would provide land for the mega housing project within two to three years. He recommended that this time should be reduced for the provision of land on which the former top judge directed if these companies required to provide land do not do so within a year, then the contract with them should be cancelled.

Former chief justice urged the land should be acquired expediently and be allotted to the affectees. The counsel said that the land acquired so far had been transferred to LDA City's name. He further told the court that the companies had sold 9,000 registration files in excess and that 20,000 kanals of land were still needed so it may be allotted to the affectees.

Justice Ijazul Ahsan, the other member of the bench hearing the case, said: "Why doesn't LDA complete the project on its own? It is such a big company. It should complete the project itself." To this, the counsel for LDA responded by saying that the company "does not have the required funds."