Unplanned farmland conversion termed environmental threat

LAHORE:

Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique has termed unplanned commercialisation of agricultural land a threat to the environment.

He was presiding over a meeting of a committee formed by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif to discuss proposals to regulate the commercial use of agricultural land.

The minister said the CM wanted a concrete and long-lasting policy made in consultation with all stakeholders for the use of agricultural land. Minister Zeeshan Rafique said it was necessary to regularise residential projects launched without approval.

"A new law will be made to monitor the master plans of commercial projects. Under the proposed law, all matters will be monitored from a single platform," he said.

Representatives of the real estate sector presented their views, agreed to the committee's agenda and assured it of their cooperation. However, they requested that there should be further consultation before taking the final decision.

The local government minister said the employment of many people is directly or indirectly attached to the real estate business.

"So it is equally important to safeguard the investors' capital," he stressed.

He said lack of regularisation of illegal schemes harms public interest and causes uncertainty. Steps in this regard would be ensured and suggestions from the real estate sector would also be taken into consideration, he pledged.

Provincial Agriculture Minister Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani said multiple government agencies' involvement created complications for both buyers and sellers. He said the aim of the Punjab government was to ensure the protection of the interests of the people under a single authority.

The minister said the practice of constructing high-rise buildings on small areas should be promoted so that the need of a large population could be met with the minimum use of land.

He also stressed the importance of taking early steps for food security. "That is why the chief minister formed this committee," he added.

The local government minister is the convener and the agriculture minister co-convener of the committee. Provincial Local Government Secretary Shakeel Ahmed Mian, Special Secretary Asia Gul and Law Secretary Asif Bilal Lodhi attended the meeting.

Meanwhile, Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique visited the Islampura area and inspected ongoing development schemes in Union Council 73 of Data Ganj Bakhsh Town.

He directed Lahore Deputy Commissioner Rafia Haider to complete the sewerage work before the rainy season.

The minister stressed that the instructions of the chief minister to pay special attention to the backward areas while implementing development schemes.

Zeeshan Rafiq said that after the completion of the revamping project, damaged streets and drains would not be seen in Lahore. He warned that there should be no compromise on the quality and speed of the development work.

The deputy commissioner gave a briefing to the minister on the occasion.

In another development, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) on Monday conducted an operation against defaulters of the commercialisation fee around Gulshan-e-Ravi and sealed seven properties.

The sealed properties included medical stores, grocery shops, private schools and other establishments. The operation was supervised by Town Planning Wing Operation Director Ayesha Muttahir.

According to an official statement, millions of rupees worth of commercialisation fees were due on the sealed properties. Prior to the operation, multiple notices had been issued to the owners of the properties.

With additional input from APP