Illegal buildings face action

FIRs registered against owners, officials responsible removed

LAHORE:

A special audit team has pointed out widespread violations of the master plan of the provincial capital through illegal construction in the residential, commercial as well as industrial sectors.

The disregard for the plan has not only tarnished the landscape of the city but also caused loss to the exchequer of millions of rupees.

The audit has revealed that agriculture and residential areas were used for industrial purposes in violation of the master plan. Warehouses were also found built in areas prone to being inundated by floods in the Ravi river.

The auditors also pointed out discrepancies in the approval of some large commercial plots.

According to sources, the matter has been raised in objections mentioned in 52 audit paras of the team.

They said action was likely against the officers involved in the violations in view of the objections.

Amid apprehensions that the officials facing action might tamper with the record to save themselves, the local government department is taking strict action against illegal constructions across the city.

The department has also taken action against zonal officers involved in inspection of the buildings constructed in violation of the rules.

As a result, two zonal officers and seven building inspectors were removed from the planning wing.

Wagah Zonal Officer Iram Altaf, Allama Iqbal Assistant Zonal Officer Samira Chauhan, building inspectors Ali Shahid and Arslan Jameel of Wagah, Tariq Saeed and Asmatullah of Nishtar, Ahsan Raza and Ali Raza of Shalamar and Muhammad Yasin of Aziz Bhatti Zone have been instructed to report to the metropolitan corporation.

After preliminary investigations, as many as 51 commercial and residential buildings constructed illegally have been sealed and their demolition is being considered.

The violations of the Master Plan 2020 have come to light in the audit for 2021-22.

Agricultural land was converted to industrial and industrial to residential areas. Construction of warehouses was also allowed in the floodplain of Ravi river.

The LDA also approved big plazas with their area not correctly declared in the record.

The local government department is also registering cases against the owners of illegal buildings. Excavation for basements under shops on McLeod Road has also been stopped during the action.

The authorities have also stopped the construction of a commercial project in Anarkali Bazaar that had been started without the approval of its design. The premises have been sealed and an FIR registered against the owners.

Official record shows that 7,739 building plans had been submitted for approval in Lahore between July 2, 2020 and May 19 this year.

The development authority approved 6,370 of them.

Of them, 1,218 plans were of commercial and industrial buildings, of which 827 were approved.

The target in the budget for 2022-23 for collection of the fees from the applicants was Rs215 million, but Rs129 million was collected, showing a shortfall of Rs85 million.

Caretaker Minister Amir Mir said that not only the land owners but also their facilitators and corrupt building inspectors were equally involved in illegal construction. He said the strictest action will be taken against those involved in bribery in the local government department.

He said the action against illegal construction was are being taken on public complaints and officials involved in corruption were being blacklisted.

The caretaker minister said departmental action against those facilitating illegal construction was part of the regulations.

He said restoration of public trust in government institutions is not possible without eradicating corruption.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 16^th, 2023.