LDA stands for Lahore Development Authority, which is the primary public authority that manages all development and planning permissions in the megapolis of Lahore. The organisation not only has a fully functional and informative website but also offers apps and online systems to help residents and property developers of Lahore. Below, we’ll discuss why and how LDA is going digital and how digitalisation is helping the authority performs its functions in an even better manner.
About the LDA
[Credits: Official Website of LDA]
The LDA is the principal organisation managing all the initiatives relevant to the transport, development, and housing in the Metropolis of Lahore. The authorised body is divided into three wings:
Urban Development Wing
This wing focuses its efforts on the urban planning, design, and development of Lahore, with various subsectors dedicated to specific functions.
Water And Sanitation Agency (WASA)
Created immediately after the establishment of the LDA, WASA maintains and manages everything related to the supply of water and the drainage of sewerage in the city.
Traffic Engineering Planning Agency (TEPA)
TEPA is the authority maintaining all the road, transport, and traffic projects in Lahore, ensuring that the core infrastructure of the city is maintained for its residents.
How the LDA is Going Digital?
The first step taken towards making LDA digital was to set up a fully functioning website, which offers information as well as several online services. After the successful execution of the website, LDA introduced plans to launch an Android app that could help carry out building surveys. Next up was the authorisation of the e-permit system, which would help people get their design plans approved online. The latest development with regards to LDA going digital concerns the people who want to register their complaints with the department. An app will be released for the registration and resolution of complaints in the near future.
Let’s discuss each of these digital advancements of the LDA in details below.
The Lahore Development Authority Website
[Credits: Official Website of LDA]
First up in the digital advancements of the LDA is their website, which is fully functional and offers plenty of information for users. From discussing the mission and vision of the LDA to its core departments, it summarises everything in a manner that is easy to understand.
The Downloads section on the website further offers all of the relevant policy and planning specifications in a downloadable form which is easy to keep on record. Some of the available downloads are Approval of Building Plans, Application Form for the Transfer of Plots in LDA and the LDA Building Regulations, along with an assortment of Regulation Acts that are applicable on Lahore’s real estate and must be followed by property developers.
The Lahore Development Authority website also has a Projects page, where all completed, ongoing, and future projects have been listed. While completed projects include the likes of Shalamar Interchange and Liberty Parking Plaza, ongoing projects include LDA City and LDA Avenue, while other proposed future plans are also listed here. Learn more about LDA City on our New Projects page.
LDA’s Android Apps
Currently, with the hopes of making LDA digital, two separate Android apps are being developed. The first of these will help carry out surveys as per the new commercialisation policy. The app will mainly be used to survey high-rise constructions in real-time, and the data collected by the survey will then be used to determine the impact of high-rise buildings on the overall infrastructure of Lahore.
The other app that is being developed will help people register and get their complaints resolved more efficiently by the LDA. The app will also monitor and record the citizen’s feedback on various projects so that efforts can be made to develop Lahore without affecting the lifestyle of its residents.
Another app that is all set to launch by the LDA (as of January 2020) is going to help developers attain swift approval of building plans within 48 hours. The approval applications will be filed via architects and town planners registered with the LDA and the plan will be approved based on their recommendation. The app will shorten a process that comprised 19 stages to one that can easily be completed in 9 steps. The app was developed keeping in mind the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Programme. and it will help mitigate untimely delays in the construction process.
One Window Cell
[Credits: Facebook/Lahore Development Authority]
With the hopes of streamlining application processes related to design approval permits, LDA initiated a fully automated One Window Cell operation in 2010, where a token system is used to file each applicant’s case. The Information Desk can guide you regarding the supporting documents you will need for your particular case, and once you have all the documents, you can submit your application here. The applicant is then given a due date by which they will be informed of the decision of the LDA.
While initiating the e-permit system will help in making LDA digital, the best part about the One Window Cell is that you can easily check your application’s status online, making the process quick and convenient. The aim here is to hear out all complaints and concerns at one single counter, from where they will be dispatched to different departments within the LDA as needed. This means that applicants will no longer need to wait in long queues or rush to various counters for a range of tasks managed by the authority.
The LDA is going digital and the benefits of computerising all of their records, plans, and permits are surely going to help, not just the organisation in performing more smoothly, but also the general public, as they will be able to sit within the comfort of their homes and get planning permissions, plans, permits and a lot more approved from the LDA without any hassles.
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*[Cover Image Credits: Facebook/Lahore Development Authority News]
