Property acquisition for Orange Line irks owners

[Salman]

Lahore: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has planned to acquire 1,666 kanals of private land for the Orange Line Metro project, leaving property owners and businessmen in the areas under question distressed about the fate of their holdings.

Even those who are willing to surrender their properties find the relocation process daunting. In this vein, they have requested Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to pay them an additional amount over the market price to cover their relocation expenses, a source stated.

According to a news report, the government has assured owners in these residential and commercial areas, spread over 20 mauzas in three tehsils of Lahore, that they will be compensated according to market rates rather than district-collector rates.