Mismanagement at its worst at LDA

[Salman]

LAHORE: Mismanagement was at its worst on Saturday after the Lahore Development Authority officials allegedly refused to complete the procedure for sale, purchase and transfer of their commercial properties, falling within the jurisdiction of Township (Quad-i-Azam Town) on the pretext of ‘internal scrutiny’.

During a visit to the LDA’s one-window cell, it was revealed that the sellers and buyers of various commercial properties had gathered there for the process of ‘property transfer’ on the date fixed for their identification at the cell’s identification room.

However, the officials refused to take their pictures and signatures on the transfer documents (transfer forms, stamp papers, etc.), stating the procedure would only be completed after the scrutiny by the officials of LDA’s Quaid-i-Azam Town administration.

The people rushed to an officer and complained against not being entertained. The officer, after checking with the quarters concerned, told the applicants to revisit the identification room after being contacted by the officials through telephone or letters in near future.

He assured the complainants that they would be entertained as soon as the necessary procedure was complete.

Talking to Dawn, a buyer said he had purchased a small market but failed to get it transferred to his name because of the problem at the LDA.

According to the procedure, he said, the Lahore Development Authority officials always gave dates of issuing transfer challans and identification, etc. to the applicants in writing and in case of any issue, they informed the people through phone calls.

“Since no one informed us about the problem before, we came here for identification (the last legal formality after which the property is transferred in the name of purchaser) but we were denied due to scrutiny,” he complained.

Talking to this reporter, another official said the Quaid-i-Azam Town administration should have coordinated with the cell’s officials regarding the matter of scrutiny before the identification dates in order to avoid complaints from the applicants.

SUB-OFFICE: As a first step towards its expansion and conversion into a regional body, the Lahore Development Authority has completed homework to construct its sub-office in Sheikhupura district.

There is a plan to establish similar sub-offices in Kasur and Nankana Sahib districts at a later stage, officials say.

“Since Rs50 million has been calculated as estimated cost of construction of the Sheikhpura sub-office, we have invited applications for prequalification of engineering firms and contractors by January 14, 2014,” an LDA official told Dawn on Saturday.

He said the decision to expand the LDA’s jurisdiction to the three districts had been taken in the light of an amendment in the LDA Act-1975 that was passed by the Punjab Assembly sometime ago.

“The authority may, by notification in the official gazette, declare any locality within the area to be controlled area, for the purposes of this Act and may issue in respect of such locality or such directions as it considers fit and appropriate and do all such things as may be necessary for the prevention of haphazard growth, encroachment and unauthorised constructions in such areas,” reads Section 18 of the Act.

The official said the expansion of the LDA’s scope would help the government resolve various issues related to building control and approval or development of new housing societies in small districts.

He said if the experience of broadening the LDA’s scope proved successful, the government might replicate the model in Multan, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and other