PHOTO:FILE
Speaking to The Express Tribune, various property investors and dealers highlighted that they prefer to stay away from property deals that fall in the jurisdiction of the city developer. They said building plan, no objection certificate (NOC), transfers and other sorts of developer approval were generally issued in a week or a fortnight in private sector, while the same task took months in the LDA offices.
A citizen, Muhammad Imran, revealed that it took him over four months to get a completion certificate and the NOC required to sell his family house in Allama Iqbal Town.
“I have to visit the LDA office for dozens of time to push officials concerned to complete their job, even after paying a bribe of hundreds of thousands,” he said.
As per information available on the LDA’s website, the authority has announced that it would take only 20 days to approve building plan, along with approval from WASA and TEPA, for commercial plazas and multi-storey building but investors and builders state contrary stories.
Owner of a commercial plaza at College Road disclosed that it took him nearly 10 months to get his commercial building passed from the authority after making hefty under the table payments.
Similar remarks were also made by several other citizens because they have to visit the LDA’s offices in all sort of property transactions fall in the authority’s jurisdiction.
A citizen, Rafiq Ahmad, said over 11 months have been passed but the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government failed to bring any positive change in any public service department. Every evening, he said, ruling party leaders make new promises and curse their predecessors in talk shows. Except for lip service, there is no change in the public service delivery department.
LDA Director General Muhammad Usman Muazzam in his recent media interaction also confessed that the authority “needs a surgery besides broad-based internal reforms” to make it an efficient service delivery organisation. He highlighted that over 10,000 cases were pending against the city developer in different court due to the negligence of incompetent legal advisors.
“After taking charge of my office, I have removed all incompetent legal advisers and ordered the appointment of the new legal team on merit and qualification,” he remarked.
“The authority has also initiated the development of software-based case management system for efficient monitoring and follow up of pending court cases. In addition, a human resources system will be implemented for which all LDA employees’ data is being digitised. In future, all authority’s orders will have a barcode for swift tracking,” he indicated.
Expressing reaction over public complaints, which he attended during an open court session at LDA One Window Cell, the LDA DG underlined the need to reduce the application processing time of the One Window Cell. He issued a prompt direction to resolve several public complaints and said the basic purpose of the open court is to hear public grievances and solve their problems.
In a recent meeting, Punjab Chief Secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokhar has also directed the LDA DG to improve service delivery of the authority and complete action on public applications and complaints.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 24th, 2019.
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