The Lahore Development Authority (LDA), instead of taking action against illegal private housing schemes, has decided to be contended with issuing warnings to people, Pakistan Today has learnt.
LDA declared 14 private housing schemes as illegal in 2012, which include Vital Homes Housing Schemes,Ideal Garden Society, Green Cap Housing Scheme, Fateh villas,Malik Park,Grand Avenue Housing Scheme, Gulberg Park Housing Scheme, Subhan Gardens Housing Scheme, Anwar Town, Roshan Town, Faisal Town, Akhtarabad Housing Scheme, Wak Land and Elite Town. Now, LDA, in view of the frequent complaints regarding sale of plots on additional land or un-approved area by the sponsors of approved private housing schemes, has advised the intending buyers for ascertaining the legal position of a plot before finalising any transaction in these schemes. LDA has also warned the people to beware of purchasing such plots as well that had been mortgaged with LDA as guarantee for completing development works in these schemes by their owners. People have been recommended to contact LDA director commercialisation at his office at 467-D-II Johar Town, for getting details about the exact status of a plot before purchasing it, in order to avoid inconvenience. LDA official said LDA would not be responsible for any loss if care was not taken and this advice was not followed by the purchasers. LDA had already informed the general public that sponsors of 14 private housing schemes at Ferozepur Road were illegally offering sale and purchase of plots because LDA had not granted approval for these schemes. Tracing back the genesis of the problem, it transpires that highly influential land mafia started launching private housing schemes in different parts of the city. Like anywhere, sponsors of these housing schemes assured the plot-seekers about provision of all the basic amenities by duly fulfilling all requirements of the LDA. However, after a lapse of many years, neither the basic amenities have been provided nor the approvals of the schemes have been obtained. Majority of the people have not been given possession of their pieces of land in these schemes. Where owners have got possession, they are unable to build houses due to the absence of basic amenities like roads, electricity, gas, water supply and sewerage system. The housing schemes declared illegal by the LDA are located in different areas of the city like Ferozepur Road, GT Road, Raiwind Road, Multan Road and Lahore Canal. The LDA’s official housing schemes falling in Gulberg I, II and III, Garden Town, Muslim Town, Allama Iqbal Town, Samanabad, Sabzazar, Johar Town, Gujjar Pura, Taj Pura, Mohlanwal, Gulshan Ravi and other localities are also under strict scrutiny. The issue of illegal housing schemes came to the limelight when Manshaur Rehman, resident of Khanewal, complained that the Punjab government had notified the Punjab Private Site Development (Regulations) Rules 2005 on January 25, 2005, but its provisions could not be implemented in letter and spirit. The CJP, after the report from the chief secretary on the issue, directed that it be released to the Press for publication so that general public making investment in such societies might know about their affairs.
