LDA grilled over delays in Avenue-1 project

Five housing schemes have been resisting transferring land to mega project

LAHORE: A delegation comprising officials from the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) and the cooperative department briefed National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Lahore DG Saleem Shahzad over the reasons for the delay in the Avenue-1 project.

LDA DG Usman Moazzam led the delegation. The briefing was called to address issues and reservations being laid down by all stakeholders and to draw solutions under the law so that the delayed project may be complete without causing further delay.

Addressing the briefing the LDA DG said that the project covers an area of approximately 17,771 kanals. On the other hand, five different housing schemes, owning 3,200 kanals of land have been resisting transferring land to the mega project.

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In this regard, NAB Lahore needs to play a part in order to reach a settlement.

During the briefing, representatives from the Chiniot Cooperative Housing Society, the Mumtaz Housing Scheme, the Islamic Research Scholars Cooperative Housing Society, the Board of Revenue Employees Cooperative Housing Society and the Punjab Civil Servants Employees Cooperative Housing Society explained their reservations being hesitating in attaching their lands to the mega project.

After listening to the concerns of all stakeholders, the NAB director general called the administration of the Ciniot Cooperative Housing Society next week as the Society had failed to develop and deliver plots to the public since 1987.

Meanwhile, officials from the Mumtaz Housing Society and the Board of Revenue Cooperative Housing Society were directed to adjust their issues with LDA within 15 days.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 2^nd, 2019.