Illegal housing societies to face the music
The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has directed illegal housing societies to stop marketing without getting the no-objection certificates (NOC) before legal action is initiated against them.
Earlier, the RDA issued notices to 12 illegal housing schemes in the Rawalpindi region. The civic agency had also advised the citizens to double-check the status of the housing societies from the official website of RDA before investing in them.
Owing to the non-implementation of the law, illegal housing societies and businesses have seen mushroom growth in the Rawalpindi division over the years. Around 264 housing societies are operating illegally in the jurisdiction of the RDA. Though the regulator has identified the illegal housing schemes, it has failed to initiate legal action against the illegal business.
According to an RDA spokesman, the authority has lodged first information reports (FIRs) against seven illegal housing schemes for violating rules and directed them to stop illegal marketing as the civic body has not issued NOCs to them.
He said that action was being taken against illegal housing schemes as the authority has issued notices to the sponsors of Capital Valley Mouza Thallian, Islamabad Golf City Mouza Thallian, Pearl Enclave Mouza Thallian, AL-Madina Valley Girja Road, The Countryside Farms Chak Beli Khan Road, Prism Town Gujar Khan and New Metro City Gujar Khan.
He said that the citizens were advised not to invest in illegal and unauthorized projects which were not approved by the departments concerned.
Sources said that these housing societies have popped up under the very nose of the RDA, which has failed to implement the law which calls for three years imprisonment and an Rs0.5 million fine against unauthorised and illegal housing schemes.
Interestingly, the RDA resorts to issuing notices and registration of FIRs only after illegal housing societies start operation with full electricity and gas connections. These housing societies have got all utility facilities including gas and electricity, which they get after greasing the palms of officials in these service providers.
The spokesman said that the MP&TE directorate has also sent letters to the FIA with a request to take necessary action against the illegal marketing of these societies on social media. The district collector, the district council and PEMRA had also been informed about the advertisements of the illegal housing schemes on social media, he added.
The spokesman said that the RDA had also requested Islamabad Electric Supply Company, the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd and Pakistan Telecommunication Limited to not proved services to illegal housing schemes.
He said a plan for a grand operation against illegal and fake housing societies had been devised. FIRs would also be lodged against the owners of fake and illegal housing societies in respective police stations. The Punjab government had banned the issuance of NOCs to all new housing societies to protect and preserve agricultural lands.
The authority had also written letters to the State Bank of Pakistan, the National Accountability Bureau, the Federal Investigation Agency Cybercrime Islamabad, Overseas Pakistanis Foundation Islamabad, the SNGPL Islamabad, the District Collector Rawalpindi, the District Council Rawalpindi and the commissioner Islamabad requesting them to freeze bank accounts and block social media accounts of owners and administrations of the illegal housing societies.
The spokesman said the illegal and unauthorized housing societies have been mushrooming in the district while their owners were also involved in promoting their illegal business through advertisements on TV channels and social media.
(With additional input from APP)
Published in The Express Tribune, August 22nd, 2022.