LDA collects over Rs 2 billion commercialisation fee

[Salman]

LDA collects over Rs 2 billion commercialisation fee

LAHORE: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has succeeded in collecting a sum of Rs 2.340 billions on account of commercialisation fee, including Rs 2 billion under the head of permanent commercialisation fee during the year 2012. The remaining Rs 340 million was collected against annual/temporary commercialisation fee. As many as 500 properties, which had failed to pay the commercialization fee despite repeated notices, had been sealed during this period to gear up collection of commercialization charges from these properties.

Town Planning Wing of LDA disposed off all the 238 applications seeking permanent commercialization besides taking appropriate action on 168 out of 170 pleas for extension in the permission for annual commercialization. The TP Wing also received a total of 4273 applications for approval of building plans and 817 for issuance of completion certificates of buildings out of which 4244 and 803 were disposed of respectively. Metropolitan Planning Wing of LDA has shortlisted six international firms, having representation in Pakistan, and has invited ‘Technical and Financial Proposals’ from them for preparation of Master Plan 2035 for Lahore. Advertisements for seeking bids from such firms had been got published in national and international newspapers in August 2012.

The CMP wing also launched crackdown against 25 out of the 240 approved private housing schemes in the provincial metropolis which had violated the scheme plan approved by LDA, sold the mortgaged plots, carved out plots in public utility sites or illegally extended their schemes without getting necessary approval from LDA. An unusual awareness campaign was launched for the benefit of prospective buyers of plots in these schemes by prominently publishing advertisements in the newspapers besides setting up a special counter No 3 at LDA’s One Window Cell for providing necessary information to them about the legal status of private housing schemes and plots situated in them. Marketing and advertisement campaigns by private housing schemes were also closely monitored and their unsubstantiated claims regarding their housing schemes were countered for safeguarding the savings of the intending buyers.

The LDA took a number of steps for ensuring completion of development works in these schemes before redemption of plots mortgaged by them. It also adopted measures for executing transfer deed of public utility sites of these schemes in favour of LDA for facilitating their sale through open auction for setting up schools and medical centres in these schemes. The CMP Wing of LDA has compiled data of the 53 non-approved private housing societies in its controlled area and got registered 1200 cases against such schemes during 2012. LDA also took punitive action against a number of such schemes and demolished their site offices as well boundary walls. The CMP Wing of LDA also undertook planning and development of Finance and Trade Centre, Johar Town, spreading over an area of 1123 kanala, as per the international standards. A hotel site measuring 118 kanals, situated in the Finance and Trade Centre was auctioned against a sum of Rs.2.17 billions.

A total 55,312 applications of various natures were submitted by the people at the One Window Cell of Lahore Development Authority, during the year 2012. As many as 54,191 applications had been disposed off so far. An average of 150 applications had been disposed off daily out of the 153 applications received at the One Window Cell during 2012, at a disposal rate of 98 per cent every day. Maximum number of applications, i.e., 6,948 had been received for issuance of transfer letters out of which 6840 had been disposed off. Other applications pertained to issuance of attested copy challan, issuance of attested copy, allocation letter, allotment of plot, building period extension challan, issuance of building period extension, balance dues, change of plot, checking of file, construction of duplicate file, correction/amendment, court orders, duplicate papers challan, excess area challan, exemption approval, exemption challan, exemption letter, final demand notice, gift transfer, legal heirs, NOC challan, NOC issuance, PTM issuance, PTM challan, physical possession, placement of documents challan, placement of documents issue, possession order, publication challan, publication issue, release of mortgaged plots, reminder, reply to notice, site plan, stay order, sub-division challan, sub-division issue, urgent transfer challan, urgent transfer issue and verification of documents. The Security Featured Documents Cell of LDA issued a total 16,417 documents of 14 different natures, including allocation letter, completion letter, physical possession delivery, entitlement letter, exchange letter, exemption letter, legal heirs, ownership requisition, PTN, physical possession, possession order, qabza patwari, sanction plan and transfer letter during 2012.