347 housing schemes illegal

[Salman]

LAHORE

A TOTAL of 347 private housing schemes situated in the districts of Lahore, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib and Kasur of the Lahore Division out of which 98 are situated in the provincial metropolis have been declared illegal by the Lahore Development Authority (LDA).

A senior LDA official said that in Lahore, 69 illegal schemes were located in the jurisdiction of TMA Nishtar Town, 14 in Wagha Town, 10 in Allama Iqbal Town and five were situated in Aziz Bhatti Town. He said the LDA was continuously informing the prospective buyers of plots in the private housing schemes/land sub-divisions not to purchase the property in any of the illegal schemes until the scheme/land sub-division were approved by the Lahore Development Authority. He said they were also advised to get the information about the legality of a housing scheme/land sub-division and the status of plot (s) from the LDA before making any transaction.

According to a press statement issued by the LDA, about 69 schemes in Nishtar Town are Alam Residency, Vital Premium, Anwar Town, Badar Colony, Bilal Town, Fatima Houses, Gillani Homes, Gillani Park-I, Gillani Park-II, Green Cap H/S, Iqbal Park, Al-Madina Town H/S ,Gulshan-e-Amin, Haji Amanat Ali Estate, Hajveri Gardens, Ideal Garden H/S, Koh-e-Noor H/S, Malik Park, Mian Qasim Estate, Sadaat Colony, Waheed Brothers, Gul Nishan H/S, Haji Amanat Ali Shah, Heaven Homes, Islam Park H/S, Johar Villas H/S, Jamal Homes, (Prime Homes), Prime Homes, Judicial Avenue H/S, Mahnoor Villas, Rehman Park, Nasir Colony, Park View Villas, Sub-Division adjacent to T&T H/S, Villas Adjacent to Abpara H/S, Mian Farm Houses, Mustafa Town, Ghousia Colony, Aazan Housing Scheme, 1384 K Housing Scheme, Abdullah Park Housing Scheme, Al-Rehman Foundation Housing Scheme, Badar Colony, Elite Town, Gulberg Park Housing Scheme, Haji Park Housing Scheme, Sabir Estate-II Housing Scheme, Madina View Housing Scheme, Mian Ji Abdullah Housing Scheme, Akhtarabad H/S, Al-Haram Gardens, Aziz Colony, Bilal Town, Faisal Town, Faisal Town Ph. II, Gulberg Park, Indus Estate, Lahore Garden, New Gulshan-e-Lahore, Olympic Village , Roshan Town, Subhan Garden, Grand Avenue, Rehan Garden, Pearl Garden, Madina Avenue, Nazir Garden and Zain Homes.

The names of 14 illegal schemes in Wahga Town are Shareef Park, Hakim Town, Jeeva Park, Tayyab Town, Feroz Park, Al-Madina Garden, Khabar Garden, Ali Alam Garden, Tufail Garden, Rizwan Garden near Canal, Lahore Medical Housing Scheme Phase I, Lahore Medical Housing Scheme Phase II, Asad Town and Garrison Garden Phase III. The names of 10 schemes in Iqbal Town are Abdullah Town, Amna Park, Hafiz Town, Husnain Park, LDA Employees Housing Society, Jameel Park, Pak Town, Rana Town, Doctor Society and Sub-Division adjacent to Sultan Town. The names of five illegal schemes in Aziz Bhatti Town are Hajeri, Mian Aziz Garden, Paragon City/Imperial Homes, IBL Homes and Arshad Garden.

The LDA’s statement claimed that the authority had informed the public that under the LDA Act 1975 except Lahore Development Authority, no other Authority or Town Municipal Administration/Tehsil Municipal Administration or any local body or any other government agency was authorised to approve any private housing scheme/land sub-divisions in Lahore Division after 19.09.2013. Any approval granted by any other Authority or Town Municipal Administration/Tehsil Municipal Administration or any local body or any other Government Agency in Lahore Division after 19.09.2013 was not valid and lawful.

Sponsors of the housing schemes and land sub-divisions were not allowed to develop the scheme without the approval of Lahore Development Authority, it said, adding sponsors were not allowed to advertise any scheme or project prior to the formal approval by the Lahore Development Authority and after the approval of the scheme/land sub-division, the sponsors were not allowed to advertise the scheme without getting a No Objection Certificate from the Lahore Development Authority.

The launching/development of scheme without the approval of the Lahore Development Authority and publication of advertisement without obtaining the NOC from the Lahore Development Authority are illegal actions and punishable under the Lahore Development Authority Act 1975, it concluded.