Lahore: LDA fails to spend allocated funds

[Naveed Yaseen]

* Authority Rs 530 million short of target expenditure
* LDA Rs 939 million short of target revenue
* Work executed only at Government Employees Housing Scheme

By Mansab Dogar

LAHORE: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has failed to spend 20 percent of its allotted annual budget for 2008-09 on various development projects during this year’s first quarter.

Sources within the authority said that Rs 3,230 million had been allotted to the LDA to carry out several development works between July 1, 2008 and June 30, 2009, adding that it has only spent Rs 140 million during it’s first fiscal quarter, which is Rs 530 million short of its Rs 670 million target.

Revenue: They said that the LDA had set a target revenue of Rs 1,390 million through various taxes. They said that it was supposed to generate Rs 980 million during the first quarter of the fiscal year, adding that it has only been able to generate Rs 41 million.

Sources said that the LDA had not spent any large sums of money on development works at several housing schemes, adding that Rs 2,500 million had been allotted for these projects.

Government: Sources said that the LDA had to spend Rs 1,410 million of the allotted amount on laying sewerage systems, electric wiring, sui gas and water lines at the Government Employees Housing Scheme LDA Avenue 1. They added that it was supposed to spend Rs 67 million at Sabza Zar Scheme Phase I Additional Block H; Rs 30 million at the Johar Town Trade Centre; Rs 50 million at Johar Town Phase II; and Rs 14 million at the Mohlanwal Housing Scheme. Of these schemes, only a little work has been done at the Government Employees Housing Scheme LDA Avenue 1 while the others have been completely ignored.

Lahore Road Rehabilitation Programme Steering Committee Phase-II Chairman Khawaja Ahmad Hassan said that as several development programmes had to be re-prioritised during the first fiscal year’s quarter, there had been slow initial progress. He said that work was getting done quicker now, adding that Rs 500 million were released to carry out several road rehabilitation projects across the city a few days ago.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...008_pg13_4