LDA and CDGL have found one hundred and two unlawful housing schemes in Punjab’s central city among which some schemes were constructed about ten to thirty years back but the concerned authorities are unable to clarify why no action has been taken against such illegitimate builders and construction companies.
On Tuesday, LDA has declared 52 housing schemes as illegal in a press release which include: Anwar Town, Al-Rahim Gardens, Libya Town, Al-Hijaz Cooperative Housing Society, Ali Homes, Akhtarabad Housing Scheme, Ashrafi Town, Barkat Town, Bahria Town Phase-II, Lahore Parkview, Brunai Town, Ideal Garden Housing Scheme, Chirag Gardens, Dream Gardens, Faisal Town, Farid Town, Wapda Finance Officers Housing Society, Fateh Villas, Jannat Colony, Firdous Colony, Gangwa Town, Sheikh Saleem Town, Greater Town, Green Cap Housing Scheme, Gulberg Park, Hafiz Town, Jamia Muhammadabad Society, Jannat Gardens, Khayaban-e-Iqbal, Malik Park, Muqaddas Colony, Sheikh Abdullah Town, Shafiq Khokar Town, Roshan Town, Hajveri Town, Vital Homes Housing Scheme, Wapda Farmhouse Town Phase-I & II, , Koh-e-Noor Housing Scheme, Wapda Finance Farm Houses, Subhan Gardens, Walk Land, Johar Villas, Islam Park, Rehman Park, Madina Town, Sher Shah Colony, Shalimar Town, Mehboob Garden, Tayyab Town, Grand Avenue Housing Scheme, Sheraz Town.
Likewise, via an advertisement another 50 residential schemes were announced to be lawless by CDGL.
Waseem Ahmad Khan, the Chief Metropolitan Planner of LDA confessed that no action was taken by authorities against these illegal schemes and their owners. He was unable to explain what was done by former officials in this regard. He has also added that the Section 33 of LDA Act is not powerful enough to punish such constructors and needs some amendments. The law states, “Such developers will be penalized with six month imprisonment or fine; or with the combination of both”. He told that LDA and other related agencies can only send notifications to the people against the sale and purchase of property in such illegally developed residential schemes.
Whereas, Nida Zahoor, the Marketing Manager of Bahria Town refused to accept LDA’s statement against Bahria Town by saying that they had met all the legal obligations and got approval from Allama Iqbal Town administration under the Local Government Ordinance 2001 before launching the project.
When she was enquired about LDA’s statement against the legitimacy of Bahria Town Phase-II, she answered that they were unaware of the powers of LDA and finished by saying that all the projects were launched legally, NOT illegally.
