Rawalpindi: The District and Session Special Consumer Court Judge Abdul Hafeez has taken notice of the rising number of illegal housing schemes in the city, and has directed the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) and Metropolitan Corporation Rawalpindi (MCR) to launch a crackdown against such projects, according to a news source.
As per the court’s instructions, the RDA, MCR and RCB will seal all illegal housing schemes and form a plan to regularise them. The court further ordered the administrative bodies to share a report on the implementation of the court’s judgements on January 16. Furthermore, honourable Judge Abdul Hafeez warned that in the case of non-compliance, the courts would be forced to take action against the RDA, MCR and RCB.
Additionally, the court instructed the development authorities, as well as the related boards and corporations, to immediately stop all illegal housing schemes from operating within the Rawalpindi District. Moreover, it specified that the developers of approved housing schemes, who fail to follow the previously communicated standard operating procedures, should also be dealt with even-handedly.
Judge Abdul Hafeez revealed that illegal housing schemes operated by selling their plots and then failing to handover property possession in the committed timeframe, as they are unable to complete the development work required at the site. He pledged that legal action would be taken against such developers and builders.
As per the district administration’s records, Rawalpindi is home to only 48 approved housing schemes, while the number of illegal real estate developments stand at 203. Out of these 203 illegal housing schemes, 79 fall under RDA’s domain, 46 in MCR’s jurisdiction, 24 in Taxila, 49 in District Murree and 24 in Gojar Khan.
