Official urges action against illegal housing schemes

Rawalpindi Division Commissioner Noor ul Amin Mengal on Saturday directed the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) to take strict action against illegal housing schemes.

This was said in the 58th Governing Body meeting of RDA, which was chaired by RDA Chairman Tariq Mehmood Murtaza and Mengal, who is also holding the charge of RDA Director General.

The meeting was briefed about different projects, while the governing body approved several agenda items including the Rawalpindi Ring Road and Kutchery Chowk projects.

The commissioner proposed that the services of a consultant be hired and the construction work be awarded to a contractor for immediate execution of both projects.

Mengal also instructed the authorities concerned to take all possible steps to provide relief to the citizens.

He insisted that the citizens should be informed about Building and Zoning Regulations 2020 and must also be made aware about the status of all the illegal housing schemes.

The official directed the RDA employees to work hard and make all-out efforts to address the complaints of the residents, and issued orders for the Metropolitan Planning & Traffic Engineering (MP&TE) to take strict action against illegal and unauthorised constructions and commercial activities without any discrimination.

Mengal further instructed the Land Use and Building Control (LU&BC) Director to take strict action against encroachments.

A committee comprising RDA Vice Chairman, RDA Chief Engineer, MP&TE Director and Land Development and Estate Management (LD&EM) Director was also formed, which would check and verify the mortgages and status of the development projects, committed by private housing societies.

The committee would also inspect the physical status and development in the housing schemes and properties already developed in the illegal housing schemes/land sub-divisions.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 20^th, 2022.