LDA sealed 570 properties in 2013

[Salman]

LAHORE: The Lahore Development Authority on Sunday claimed to have sealed 570 properties in its areas owing to non-payment of commercialisation fee during 2013.

The LDA administration also claimed to have collected Rs2.4329 billion on account of commercialisation fee, according to a spokesman of the authority. He said 435 applications seeking permanent commercialisation were also disposed of. The administration also removed about 60 senior and junior officials from service after it found them guilty in corruption cases.

The authority amended the Punjab Private Housing and Land Sub-Division Rules 2010 under which no other authority, town/tehsil municipal administration, any local body or government agency, except LDA was authorised to approve any private housing scheme/land sub-divisions in Lahore division after Sept 19.

“The authority completed the gigantic project of the first ever Metro Bus System of the country in shortest possible duration at Rs30 billion in the city. In recognition of its meritorious services for materialising this scheme in an efficient and transparent manner, the government awarded Sitara-i-Imtiaz to the LDA director general,” the spokesman said.

He further said the LDA lost 22 officials in a fire at LDA Plaza on May 9 and took all possible steps for financial assistance and welfare of families of the victims. It launched a new housing scheme, LDA City, along Ferozepur Road, spread over 45,000 kanals. Work for construction of a new road from New Azadi Chowk to Masti Gate had been initiated and would be completed at Rs1.35 billion.

The spokesman said work on construction of four-lane dual carriage way from LOS Ferozepur Road to Multan Road was also in progress and the project was estimated to cost Rs2.5 billion. The one-window cell disposed of 63,462 of 64,425 applications, he added.