Crackdown launched on land-grabbers :LDA

[LahoreEstate]

Wednesday, December 16, 2009
By Our Correspondent

LAHORE

After a successful campaign against illegal high rise buildings, Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Tuesday launched a massive crackdown on land-grabbers in the city.

The drive against land grabbers was started on the directions of LDA director general Omar Rasool who also issued demolition orders of some 250 illegal structures and buildings constructed on LDA land.

Officials said the orders were sent to the enforcement directorate of the LDA for immediate action. On Tuesday, the LDA staff retrieved 11 plots, including one-kanal 6 plots and five-marla 5 plots, they said.

During its operation in E 2 Block Johar Town, the staff ejected illegal occupants from plot No 174, 175 and 176 and got possession after demolishing illegally constructed structures.

The illegally constructed boundary walls on plot No 21 E, 369 E and 106 A, one-kanal each, in Sabzazar area were also demolished. The staff also retrieved plot No 100, 233, 257 and 669 in L Block area besides getting occupation of 587 H in Sabazar. LDA officials said the drive against land grabbers would continue until the set target was achieved.

demolition: As many as 16 private demolition companies have responded to the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) proposal to engage private sector in the demolition process of high-rise buildings constructed in violation of the LDA’s bylaws.

Sources in the LDA said the Engineering Directorate of the Authority was not capable of completing the gigantic task of demolishing over 400 illegally high rise buildings identified by the commission of court. Some days back, the LDA kicked off a demolition drive and, presently, its staff and engineers are busy in demolishing six high rise buildings including Ahad Tower, Al Rehman Medical Complex, Rabi Center, Jeff Heights, Inam Complex and Big City complex.

The Authority also suspended 24 of its officials, including the Chief Metropolitan Planner, the Town Planning Director, and the former Chief Town Planner for their alleged involvement in allowing illegal construction of high-rises in the city. The action against these officials was a part of the authority’s drive against illegal high-rise buildings in the provincial capital. The authority also initiated departmental action against suspended officials under Punjab Employees Efficiency and Discipline Act 2006. The suspended officials included Aftab Ahmed Khan, the chief metropolitan planner, Chaudhry Muhammad Akram, the town planning director, Qasi Masood Ahmed, the former chief town planner who is presently an OSD, Khalid Mehmood Sheikh, the metropolitan planning director, Shakil Anjum Minhas, a deputy director, and Muhammad Fahim, a deputy director.

Other low ranking officials include Muhammad Iftikhar, Mehmood Ali and Asad Zaman. Suspended building inspectors are: Irfan Suhail, Fayaz Zahoor, Tanveer Ashraf, Younas Dar, Akhtar Abid, Irfan Beg, Muhammad Faqir Ahmed, Shahid Nazir, Inamuddin, Shafiq Ahmed, Zia Hussain, Amjed Nazeer, Malik Tufail and Muhammad Fazil. Estate officer Kachi Abadies Qazi Naimat is also among suspended officials.

On the other hand, the ongoing demolition of six high rises buildings continued on Tuesday and the DG LDA constituted to monitor the entire drive from the specially made central control room in Gulberg.

A senior LDA official said the authority had called several Karachi-based construction companies to participate in the tenders for demolition of high rise buildings in Lahore. He said the LDA wanted to hire private companies for demolition process because the authority did not want to delay the demolition process.

LDA officials said, during the first phase of the demolition drive, the LDA had to demolish 21 high rise buildings which included Mega Tower (plot number 63-B, Gulberg), Ashrafi Tower (plot number 2, block E, Main market Gulberg), Rehman Tower (plot number 9 block E, Main Market Gulberg), Jeff Heights (plot number 77, block E-1, Gulberg III), Hassan Tower (plot number 114-B, block E-1, Gulberg III), Big City (plot number 03, block E-2, Gulberg III), Harmain Tower (plot number 110, block J, Gulberg III), Mena Bazar (8 Commercial zone, Liberty Market, Gulberg III), Ejaz Centre (plot number 85-A, block D-1, Gulberg III), Variety Book Centre (1 Commercial zone, Liberty Market, Gulberg III), SS House (plot number 31-A, block C-1, Gulberg III), Ahad Tower (plot number 102/103, Garden block, Garden Town), Inam Complex (plot number 83, Garden block, Garden Town) and Ayesha Take (plot number 8, Babar block, Garden Town). Other than these, the commission had also recommended complete and partial demolition of buildings constructed on plot number 16, Civic Centre, New Garden Town, plot number 81, Ali Block, New Garden Town and plot number 10, Civic Centre, New Garden Town.

The officials said the proposals of 16 companies would be evaluated on Wednesday (today) after which the authority would select companies for demolishing specific buildings. They said the companies would be selected according to their resources and modern equipment like cranes, metal cutters, etc.

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