LAHORE, Aug 07 (APP):Lahore Development Authority Vice-Chairman Sheikh Muhammad Imran has said that the LDA has been transformed into a public-friendly institution through multiple initiatives including high-rise buildings, speedy approval of building plans, expansive commercialization policy and action against the land mafia during the past three years.
In an interview with APP here on Saturday, he said the LDA had become a nuisance institution due to poor management and anti-public legislation over the past many decades, adding that laws had been rectified one by one for the public ease.
“Commercialization fee waiver has been granted to the charity schools and hospitals in the city by remitting millions of rupees of taxes, which will be ultimately spent on the needy students and patients by philanthropists,” S M Imran said, adding that the education and health facilities were basic rights of people.
Highrise buildings were a taboo under the old LDA system in 2018, and only the powerful could undertake such projects, he said adding that small plot size, height and other conditions discouraged highrise buildings.
“However, the situation has changed now and around 150 highrise buildings are under-construction under the LDA currently,” the LDA vice chairman said.
He said in the year 2018, 2.3 million square foot construction was allowed by the LDA, while under the PTI, 230 million square foot construction was allowed in the year 2020-21 only.
He said that 30-day timeline had been fixed for approval of building plan by the LDA, while an applicant had to run from pillar to post in the past for the purpose. He said the applicant, under the new law, might start construction if the building plan was not approved by the LDA within 30 days.
He said after reforms, the rate of on-time disposal of applications at One Window Operation (OWO) of the LDA had been raised to 78 per cent from mere 20 per cent three years ago. He said the commercialization policy had extensively been introduced in the provincial metropolis, which would encourage businesses.
The LDA vice chairman said the frozen road plans were being reviewed and a decision would be taken soon regarding their status. He said annual/ temporary commercialization policy in the residential areas was a wrong policy, adding that the current management had done away with it and it would not be renewed after 2024.
About illegal commercial activity, S M Imran said a benign decision would be taken in this regard; however, the LDA would not let anyone cause civic problems for their business interests.
Legal heirship process has been made easy for the public, he said adding that now no one would have to undergo cumbersome process of court decree. He said now a family would be required to submit a Family Registration Certificate (FRC) from NADRA for the change of heirship after demise of a family head, adding that the LDA would place an advertisement in the newspapers, seeking objections in two-week time, after which the heirship would be changed.
He said operations against the land-mafia had brought about great relief to the aggrieved public besides adding billions of rupees to the government kitty. He said successful operations had been conducted against land-grabbers.
He said affectees of the LDA City One project have been provided relief with the help of National Accountability Bureau (NAB), adding that these people were suffering for over a decade.
The LDA vice chairman said that Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar’s government had introduced record public-friendly initiatives in the LDA, which had brought immense relief to the public.
