New body to curb illegal housing

CM Maryam orders immediate disposal of pending applications.

LAHORE:

A Punjab Special Planning Authority (PSPA) will be set up to eradicate illegal housing societies in the province.

The decision was taken in a meeting presided over by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. A proposal of separate designs for commercial and residential areas was reviewed in the meeting.

The participants considered recommendations to make the housing societies eco-friendly and walkable in accordance with modern requirements.

The chief minister issued directives to ensure immediate disposal of pending applications of the housing sector.

She sought a detailed report to review progress on the Lahore Development Plan on a daily basis.

It was decided in principle to establish the PSPA to eradicate illegal housing societies. Commercial, residential and agricultural land will be zoned.

The PSPA will conduct district land use planning and zoning.

The district land use plans and zoning will be reviewed after every four years.

It was also decided that a special planning committee would be stablished in each district. The relevant deputy commissioner will be the head of the District Special Planning Committee. Representatives of the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), Sui Gas, Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) and other service providers will be included in the committees.

A violation tracking mechanism will also be launched to prevent illegal use of land. Misuse of land will be identified through the 'District Digital Wall'. A decision on fast-track approval of applications would also be based on the digital data.

The chief minister said, "Town planning guarantees a stable future. Owing to poor strategy, illegal housing societies are being built in the urban areas." The CM was informed in a briefing that millions of rupees had been saved due to e-tendering in the Lahore Development Plan. A progress report was presented on 414 schemes under Phase-I of the plan.

Meanwhile, Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Additional Director General Dr Mujtaba Irfan informed a delegation of trainee officers from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa that LDA was in the process of becoming a paperless organisation. He said the authority had issued over 1,300 online residential designs to citizens.

The delegation was informed that over 850 kanal of LDA-owned land had been reclaimed last year.

The officers were briefed on LDA's property management, enforcement, town planning, land use rules, and sustainable development practices in its schemes. The delegation received detailed information on building and zoning regulations, residential schemes and mega projects undertaken by the authority.

They were also briefed about the workings of WASA (Water and Sanitation Agency) and TEPA (Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency).

The LDA on Wednesday sealed 105 illegal commercial properties. The action was taken against the use of residential buildings for illegal commercial purposes in violation of the regulations.

At Khayaban-e-Firdousi, 30 properties were sealed, including cafes, food points, private offices, restaurants and other commercial establishments operating without authorisation despite the area being designated for residential purposes.

In addition to Johar Town, LDA teams sealed 34 properties in Sabzazar, 30 at Canal Road, New Muslim Town, and Shadman, and 11 in Faisal Town.

With additional input from APP