Drive against illegal housing schemes from Wednesday: RDA

RAWALPINDI: A grand operation against illegal housing societies is set to start in Rawalpindi from Wednesday.

Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) Chairman Arif Abbasi said the operation would commence on July 24 and continue till last week of August.

He said, all out efforts would be made to make the operation a success and strict action in accordance with the law would be taken against the rules violators without any discrimination.

Abbasi said, under the operation, the gates, illegal offices and other construction would be demolished in different areas of the district.

Cases would also be registered against the owners of the illegal housing societies, he added.

RDA to start action against illegal housing schemes

To a question he said, the illegal advertisement boards displayed by them would also be removed.

The RDA magistrate would monitor the operation. RDA had adopted zero tolerance policy against illegal housing schemes, he said.He further said, RDA was pursuing strict policy to control illegal housing schemes in its jurisdiction and sent letters to all the departments concerned including State Bank of Pakistan, District Collector Rawalpindi, Overseas Pakistanis Foundation, Police, Utility Service departments, DG PEMRA and Advertising companies in an effort to save the citizens from any fraud.

RDA had written letters to the departments concerned for appropriate actions against illegal housing schemes not following the set criteria. He informed that the status of the housing schemes was updated and all legal and illegal schemes were uploaded on RDA's website.

Now, the authority was also uploading the approved layout plans of the housing schemes on the authority's website so that the citizens even from abroad could check location of the plots, he added.  

Published in The Express Tribune, July 23^rd, 2019.