Notifications on LDA’s extension suspended

[Salman]

LAHORE



The Lahore High Court has suspended two notifications of the Punjab government under which the power of the Lahore Development Authority has been extended up to Lahore division comprising Lahore, Sheikhupura, Kasur and Nankana Sahib, and the role of Town Municipal administration has been eliminated in approval of housing schemes.



Justice Shehzada Mazhar on Thursday issued this order on a petition moved by a private housing scheme, National Bank of Pakistan Officers Cooperative Housing Society, questioning legality of the notification as its scheme is also being transferred to LDA.



The petitioner-society through its counsel contended that the Punjab government amended section 13 of LDA Act 1975 and empowered it to take up the matter of all private schemes and town municipal officers were required to transfer all pending or approved cases of land use and private housing scheme to LDA. He said two notifications were issued on November 26, 2013 and January 1st in this regard.



The counsel pointed out that, under LDA Act, an already approved scheme could not be transferred to LDA. He said the Lahore Development Authority director general had been directed to take up the matter of petitioner-society on misconceived pretext that the jurisdiction of LDA had been extended up to Lahore division due to amendment to the LDA Act.



The petitioner’s counsel argued that TMAs had been made toothless and the powers of mapping, land used control and master planning of private housing schemes had been taken back from them and given to LDA.



He said the powers of TMAs could not be curtailed through an amendment to the LDA Act because they derived powers from the Punjab Local Government Ordinance 2001.