The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has added around 0.2 million kanals of land (100 square kilometer) to the area already under its jurisdiction to construct the biggest housing scheme on the pattern of Defence Housing Authority (DHA) on Ferozepur Road. Limits of the area are from Hadiyara Drain from north, Soi Asal from south and Main Railway Line from west.
The front part of the land runs alongside Ferozepur Road. LDA Director General (DG) Abdul Jabbar Shaheen has issued a notification in this regard.
The LDA already possesses 1,185,600 kanals of land (600 square kilometers) in its controlled area as compared to 2,000 square kilometers of CDGL’s total controlled area. With the addition of 0.2 million kanals of land, LDA’ total controlled area will surge to approximately 700 square kilometers (1,383,200 kanals of land).
Under the notification, one has to seek prior permission from the authority before making any construction in the above mentioned area from Ferozepur Road to Main Railway Lines.
The land involves 23 small towns: Moza Sadhar, Pandoki, Jalkey, Chehdow, Rakth Chehdow, Toor Wariach, Tehpanju, Badooki, Khand, Asal Suleman, Aato Asal, Kachah, Kang Sharif, Jiya Bagga, Chak Boota, Dhodhey, Raiwand, Karyal, Jalal Pura, Jadu Dheer, Ladhu Key Acheh, Watney, and Moza Kangra.
A senior LDA official told Pakistan Today that LDA had hired the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Professor Sardar Babar to conduct the survey of the newly-included area where the housing scheme would be constructed.
The scheme is expected to have 15,000 plots of one kanal, 15,000 plots of 10 marlas, and 16,666 plots of 3 marlas, he said. “LDA will also carry out topographic survey and satellite imagery of a suitable chunk of land,” he added.
He said that in order to remove all legal hitches in the development of the scheme, the LDA had added a provision in the notification that Land Acquisition Collector (LAC), if tried to cancel the new acquisition notification, an FIR would be registered against him and his subordinates.
The LDA has also banned establishment of private housing schemes in the area and Town Planning Branch has been issued directions forthwith, he added.
An official of Town Planning Branch said that the saga of said development schemes by LDA had three episodes. First time, LDA approved the housing schemes on October 31, 2006 under LDA Act 1975 to meet the residential requirements of the city. However, schemes hit the snags due to unknown reasons. Later, former LDA DG Umer Rasool announced again two housing schemes on Ferozepur Road on 0.2 million kanals of land and on Raiwind Road on 25000 kanals of land. These housing schemes had to focus on preparing a large number of three-marla plots for widows, orphans and the destitute. However, LDA did not issue the notification and later lost its interest after it ran out of minimum amount of money required for the acquisition of land for the schemes.
Now, new LDA DG issued the fresh notification and first time demarcated the land and provided legal cover to it. However, this time one housing scheme covering around 25,000 kanals of land planned on Raiwand Road has been excluded. While the second housing scheme covering 2000 kanals of land designed on Ferozpur Road will get off the ground.
