LDA’s plot balloting hits another snag

The balloting for the plots of Lahore Development Authority (LDA)’s employees, which has been hanging in the balance for the last 16 months, has been further delayed as LDA has cancelled draws, which were scheduled to be held today. The draws would be held on May 25 now, senior LDA official told Pakistan Today.
Initially, LDA planned to hold balloting in February 2010 but LDA DG had to cancel plot allotments after irregularities were traced out in the allotment of plots and some LDA officials were found involved. A committee to gain transparency was also constituted.
LDA then decided to hold balloting on March 10, but the balloting was cancelled after the court issued restraining orders on the petition of LDA employee Muhammad Khalid, who pleaded that the new balloting would not do justice with those who were awarded plots through balloting in February.
Finally, LDA decided to hold balloting on May 13. “The LDA and its subordinate agencies remained busy in finalizing arrangements for balloting and its relevant procedures to allot plots to employees of grade 1 to grade 19,” senior official of LDA told Pakistan Today. He said that LDA DG Abdul Jabbar Shaheen, before his departure abroad, approved the holding of balloting. He maintained that LDA had formed an allotment committee comprising WASA DG Javed Iqbal as convener, Housing additional DG, a legal advisor and Project Director (IT) Mansoor Butt. The committee had to decide the issues regarding duplication of plots, he added.
He said that the balloting has been cancelled because the Housing Secretary, who was given the LDA’s charge in the absence of LDA DG Abdul Jabbar Shaheen, avoided supervising the balloting process and delayed the balloting date to May 25 so that LDG DG, who was coming back on May 22, could hold the balloting himself. According to sources, the employees of LDA and WASA, who have completed 10 years of service, were entitled for plots, which were three percent of the total plots in each housing society falling in the jurisdiction of authority.
The employees of grade 18 and grade 19 will get one-kanal plots each, grade 16 and grade 17 will get 10-marla plots each, grade 11 to grade 15 will get 7-marla plots, grade 6 to grade 10 will get 5-marla plots each and grade 1 to grade 5 employees will get 3-marla plots each. Out of 2,225 plots, around 1,069 have already been distributed to employees through balloting. However, the third time balloting for 1,156 plots is still pending. According to the Supreme Court’s judgment, LDA was required to calculate 3 percent quota to be allotted to LDA employees in all new schemes.
The 2007 committee reached the conclusion that remaining regular LDA employees having minimum period of service of 10 years would be allotted plots on promulgation of the disposal of land by Development Authorities (Regulations) Act, 1988.