Existing laws for regulating the affairs of private housing schemes need to be augmented and necessary powers may be delegated to the Lahore Development Authority for taking action against the developers involved in illegal practices.
Consensus in this regard was reached during a meeting held on Monday in order to formulate recommendations for introducing the amendments in the LDA Act 1975 for meeting the present day requirements.
National Assembly members Khawaja Saad Rafique and Anosha Rehman, Punjab Housing Secretary Suhail Aamir, Lahore District Coordination Officer Noor-ul-Amin Mengal, Lahore Development Authority Director General Ahad Khan Cheema, Additional Director General (HQ) Mariam Kayani, Housing Additional Director General Irfan Bhatti, Chief Metropolitan Planner Waseem Ahmed Khan and other officers concerned attended the meeting. The meeting impressed upon the need for safeguarding the savings of the purchasers of plots in private schemes and asked for legislation against the developers guilty of launching housing schemes without getting approval from the LDA. They said the fraudsters sold plots that were not originally included in the approved scheme plan or marketed plots mortgaged with the LDA as guarantee for completing development works.
The meeting recommended that the exemption of plots to the landowners, under the Land Acquisition Act 1973, may be revived for launching new housing schemes in the public sector for providing residential facilities to people.
The task for implementing the master plan for Lahore may also be entrusted to one single authority, instead of different government departments, with a view to ensure planned and coherent development of all the localities in the provincial metropolis.
