Private housing schemes LDA directorate to complete development work

LAHORE, March 5: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has established a separate directorate for executing development works in private housing schemes which have failed to accomplish the task despite a passage of long period.

The plots mortgaged with the LDA as guarantee for development works will be auctioned to arrange funds for this purpose.

This was decided in an LDA’s governing body meeting held here on Monday under the chairmanship of District Coordination Officer Ahad Cheema, who is also the LDA chairman.

LDA Director-General Abdul Jabbar Shaheen, Additional Director-General (HQ) Hafiz Ihsanul Haque, Wasa Managing Director Dr Javed Iqbal, Tepa Chief Engineer Saifur Rahman, LDA Chief Engineer Asrar Saeed and representatives of the provincial local government, housing, planning and development and finance departments and administrators of nine towns of the City District Government of Lahore were also present.

The body decided that the new directorate would ensure quality of development work being carried out by developers in private housing schemes.

No new vacancies would be created for the directorate which would be set up without incurring any additional cost. The working would be adjusted by shifting the staff from other directorates, the body decided.

The directorate will be headed by a director (engineering in BPS-19). Officers of the rank of the deputy director and assistant directors from the metropolitan, town planning, engineering and estate management wings will also be posted in the directorate for getting the development works done by developers so as to resolve public problems in this regard.

The meeting was informed that the LDA was already completing pending development works in Venus Housing Scheme (Ferozepur Road) by auctioning mortgaged plots on the directives of the Supreme Court.

The LDA has initiated preliminary proceedings for taking possession of mortgaged plots in 21 private housing schemes in the city. These plots will be sold in an open auction to complete development works.