LDA to spend Rs250m on development projects

[Salman]

LDA to spend Rs250m on development projects

LAHORE - Lahore Development Authority will spend Rs.250 million on various development projects being executed for improvement of physical infrastructure and extending world-class sports facilities for the people in the provincial metropolis.

This was decided by the Governing Body of LDA here on Monday. Commissioner Lahore Jawad Rafiq Malik attended the meeting as a special guest which was chaired by District Co-ordination Officer and Chairman LDA Noor-ul-Amin Mengal. The meeting was also attended by LDA Vice Chairman Amir Asgher Dar, WASA Vice Chairman Haji Muhammad Sharif, LDA Director General Ahad Khan Cheema, WASA Managing Director Dr. Javed Iqbal, Chief Metropolitan Planner Waseem Ahmad Khan, Additional DG (Housing) Irfan Bhatti, Chief Engineer TEPA Saeed Akhter, Chief Engineer LDA Asrar Saeed and representatives of the provincial Local Government, Housing, P&D and Finance Departments besides administrators of the nine constituent towns of the City District, Lahore.

The meeting decided to carry out the widening and improvement of 1.5 kilo meters long road, from Bhogiwal Road to China Road, Gujjar Pura Scheme, Lahore, at a cost of Rs.58 million for the daily benefit of 35,000 vehicles. This dual carriageway will be 20 feet wide on each side and will be completed within a period of three months.

It is also decided to improve roads near Palwama Chowk/ Channar Chowk near Adda Plot, Raiwind Road, at a cost of Rs 53.20 million for facilitating residents of a large number of private housing schemes situated along this road.

To utilize the Hockey Stadium, being constructed at Johar Town, for internationally recognized competitions, LDA decided to lay synthetic turf with allied infrastructure besides providing flood lights and other required facilities at a cost Rs.138.920 million.

The meeting allowed procurement of 600 school-chairs, at a cost of rupees three million from TEVTA, for students of the six models schools being run by LDA.

The meeting also decided to withdraw the notifications that had been issued under section 13(3) of LDA Act, 1975 and under section-4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 for acquisition of land for a new housing scheme namely LDA Avenue-II, proposed to be located at Raiwind Road on land measuring 1100 kanal, after the land owners expressed their disinterest to surrender their land for launching the housing scheme.

In order to overcome the shortage of directors in WASA and in view of the lack of interest of officers of other departments for working on deputation in WASA, the authority allowed three out of the five posts of directors of deputation quota to be converted into seats of promotion quota for the departmental officers.

The meeting also allowed to recruit professionally qualified officers in WASA on market based pay packages. Briefing the participants about the proposal, Director Administration WASA Muhammad Irfan said in case of approval of this proposal, three directors as well as 15 deputy directors will be recruited in different specialized fields for improving WASA. The candidates will be short listed for interview after screening test to be conducted by NTS. He informed that this recruitment would have no financial impact on WASA as the vacancies would be filling vacant seats.