Govt plans imposition of fine not demolition

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

LAHORE - The Punjab government has planned to regularise 160 illegal high-rise plazas by slapping fines compromising its stiffest policy against demolition drive.
This is the major shift in the demolition operation launched on the strict directives of CM Punjab Shahbaz Sharif following Supreme court’s orders. The change in policy hints at halting the demolition work going on in the lengths and breadth of the City over the last month with full might.
Recently Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif rebuffed the lucrative demand of legalising the violations in plazas in return of pecuniary penalties. He said some people were of the view that fines should be imposed instead of demolishing illegal plazas but that will not be sufficient and this practice will continue indefinitely. The chief ministers said that action was being taken against high-rise buildings constructed in violation of rules and bylaws. He claimed that owners of illegal plazas in their lust for money had constructed shops even on the space of mosques. He said those supporting the owners of illegal plazas were doing so only because plaza owners were rich and have constructed such illegal plazas on the basis of their wealth. He pointed out that the staff of the Lahore Development Authority and the City District Government was equally involved in construction of illegal high-rise buildings and will be punished. However, initiative to regularise the 160 illegal high rising plazas shows that LDA and builders mafia, involved in constructing high-rising plazas, has won again.
Sources privy to development revealed that LDA had constituted a high-level committee to regularise 160 illegal plazas. LDA Director General Umer Rasool has issued the notification in this regard. LDA Additional Director General (Housing) Mansoor Qadir is spearheading the committee comprising members of provincial assembly, jurists and experts in building construction. The committee will compromise PML-N MPAs D. Seed Elahi, Mohsin Latif, Khawaja Salman Rafiq, Jursit Rafeh Alam, Architect Ahmed Mukhtar, Structural Engineer Arif Hussain and LDA chief Town Planner Waseem Ahmed Khan. The committee will take stock of the infringements in the construction of plazas and lay down its recommendations about the imposing fines.