URBANISATION AND 2010 - Illegal housing societies grow unbridled

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

LAHORE - The year 2010 witnessed an alarming rise in illegal housing societies and credit goes to the Punjab government which allowed them to thrive and stopped execution bodies including LDA to clamp down against them.
Recently a full bench of Supreme Court (SC) headed by the Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry directed Housing secretary to draw up a survey regarding bogus housing schemes and plan crackdown. Punjab government though remains inactive.
In a joint report, by the LDA, city district government and the revenue department, submitted to Punjab government, stern action was sought against more than 103 illegal housing societies. Report also demanded to take action against those housing societies which were involved in violation of the Punjab Private Site Development Schemes (Regulations) Rules, 2005 notified on January 25 2005, vide Local Government and Community Development Department’s notification no SOR (LG) 38-2/2004.
However, CM secretariat official said, the report was hushed up after PML-N legislators, who were reported to be ‘close allies’ of land mafia, and advised Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif to ‘keep quite’ as an action against them would be tantamount to open a Pandora box.
Nexus between land mafia, official of Punjab government and parliamentarians came to limelight when LDA declared extension in Formanites Housing Scheme as illegal. The scheme, which was inaugurated by former minister for Housing and Physical Planning Syed Raza Ali Gillani, was authorized by LDA to sell 1119.30 kanals, but it claimed to have 3886 kanals. LDA wanted to take action through LDA Act 1975 but it was silenced and Punjab government gave the case to Lahore Commissioner Khusru Pervaiz. During the one year, Formanite Housing Scheme continued to sell unapproved land and the commissioner remained unmoved.
Various housing schemes, recent most Air Avenue housing scheme, ripped off allottees by increasing development charges more than Rs 0.3 million to Rs Rs 1 million. Fraud in Sui Gas Housing Society also made the headlines.
A housing scheme called DHA City-EME was launched on June 13 without showing map of location and advertised to be a part of DHA Lahore. While the advertisements appear to imply that the scheme is an initiative of the Defence Housing Authority (DHA), the DHA officials say they have nothing to do with it. DHA Estate Agents Association President Mian Talat said that a number of people had approached him with queries about the project. He said they were misled by the advertisements into believing that it was a DHA Lahore project.
What to talk about others, an urban developer told Pakistan Today that the Punjab government itself launched Aashiyana housing scheme for low-income group without approving its rules of business, mapping, plotting and acquisition of land.
The report said that in the first phase, LDA made public the names of 38 unauthorized housing societies, and warned the people of entering into any deal of plots in these schemes; Anwar Housing Society, Faisal Garden, Military Accounts, Green Cap, Al-Quds Housing Scheme, Punjab University Employees Housing Scheme, Noor Garden Phase II, Galaxy Park, Rehman Town (Gulshan Rehman), Rehman Homes, Malayka Homes, Ali Garden, Shoaib Garden, Paradise Point, Gulshane Haider Phase I, Shadab Colony, Gillani Park, Gillani Homes, Badr Block, Nishter Park, Gulshane Dawood Scheme, Shalimar Scheme, Dawood Town, Hajweri Town, Lahore Medical Housing Scheme, Canal Fort, Global Village Scheme, Moeez Town, Asif Colony, Shama Park, Gulbahar Town, Rizwan Garden, New Canal Park, Amir Town, Canal Point and Canal Bank Scheme.
The report maintained that LDA approved 200 housing schemes including Gulberg I, II and III, Garden Town, Muslim Town, Allama Iqbal Town, Samanabad, Sabzazar, Johar Town, Gujjar Pura, Taj Pura, Mohlanwal, Gulshan Ravi and claimed that irregularities committed in such schemes will be checked as well.
The issue of illegal housing schemes came to the limelight when Manshaur Rehman, resident of Khanewal, complained that the Punjab government had notified the Punjab Private Site Development (Regulations) Rules 2005 but its provisions were not being implemented in letter and spirit. The chief justice, after the report from the Punjab chief secretary on the issue, directed that it be released to the press for publication so that general public, investing in such societies, may know about their affairs.