Development work stops in Blocks D and G of LDA Avenue I

I have been updating you on every development in the Lahore Development Authority (LDA)’s  Avenue I Scheme from time to time, and in my recent post on LDA Avenue I, I unveiled that the LDA had started to hand over possession in 69% of the clear area of the society.

Allottees must have heaved a sigh of relief to know that they were finally getting possession of their plots, but the litigation issues do not seem to vacate the society so easily.

Because of a recent stay order from the court, the LDA has stopped development work and the process of handing over possession in Blocks D and G of LDA Avenue I. The civic authority recently commenced development work in these blocks after the land acquisition collector (LAC) handed over 599 kanals of land covering Blocks D and G to the LDA.

According to a news source, the land in question was related to a case titled “Mian Riffat Mahmood etc vs LDA”. The petitioner (Mian Riffat Mahmood etc) had applied to the LDA for no-objection certificate to develop a housing scheme on the land, but could not get the NOC because the said land was part of LDA Avenue I. The petitioner, in 2002, acquiesced to vacate the land for a compensation at market rate. An LDA official told reporters that the authority had deposited the compensation with the treasury after evaluating the market value of the land at that time. He added that the authority was not liable to pay compensation according to the current market value.

The news source reported further that the petitioner had pleaded in the court that the LAC was not liable to hand over land to the LDA until the resolution of the case.

Now the court has issued a stay order to the LDA because of which the authority has stopped development work in blocks D and G.