Master plan to curb illegal societies sought

Around 400 illegal housing societies operating across Rawalpindi district

RAWALPINDI:

The Rawalpindi district administration has sent a proposal to the Punjab government, seeking a new master plan for the district to cope with the mushroom growth of illegal housing societies.

Around 400 illegal housing societies are currently operating across the Rawalpindi district on agricultural as well as commercial land.

These housing societies have been constructed in violation of building bylaws and without prior approval from the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA). The RDA resorts to only issuing notices to these illegal schemes, warning citizens against investing in such societies.

These illegal housing societies are functioning in Tehsil Rawalpindi, Tehsil Murree, Tehsil Gujar Khan, Tehsil Taxila, and Tehsil Kotli Satian.

Neither the planning permission and layout plans of these societies have been approved by the RDA nor these societies have surrendered lands required for roads, streets, cemeteries, playgrounds and other basic civic services.

A total of 386 private housing societies are functioning in the RDA jurisdiction and of them, 66 are approved, 59 are being scrutinised and 261 are completely illegal.

A senior officer of the district administration told The Express Tribune that illegal housing societies within the RDA limits and tehsil municipal corporations have increased to such an extent that a coherent strategy was needed to take action against them.

He said that in the suburbs of Rawalpindi, a plethora of housing societies has popped on thousands of kanals of agricultural land. He said that these illegal housing societies were spreading in a haphazard direction with a check by the agencies concerned.

Sources said that primarily, the agricultural land was bearing the brunt of these illegal housing societies as landowners were selling their land for a lucrative price. The officer said that the new master has sought to mark the illegal housing societies in the first phase followed by a detailed survey to determine the limits of the Rawalpindi district.

“The agricultural land can be secured under this master plan,” the official said adding that it will be determined which housing society has committed grave violations. He said that after the approval of the master plan, new SOPs will be framed for existing and new housing societies.

“All housing societies will be bound to follow the new SOPs to get the legal status,” the official said adding that the haphazard expansion of housing societies will be stopped once the provincial government approved the new master plan.

Meanwhile, RDA Director-General Saif Anwar Jappa during a visit to Adiala Road and Shahpur Road directed the building control wing to carry out an operation against illegal constructions in the area.

A spokesperson for the RDA said that the DG issued orders to file an FIR against the owner of a wedding hall in Mouza Dagal on Adiala Road. He said that the RDA chief also directed the building control wing to survey about illegal residential and commercial buildings and rapid commercialisation without maps and building plans.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, October 13^th, 2022.