Lahore: Landgrabbers active in Johar Town

[Naveed Yaseen]

ILLEGAL occupation of government land particularly in the residential societies under the jurisdiction of Lahore Development Authority (LDA) is continuing in the provincial capital, residents have said.

The authority is carrying out a massive drive against such elements on the direction from Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Shrif but right in the neighborhood of the LDA offices at Johar Town, land grabbers are active and occupying the government land without any fear.

According to residents, E-II sector of Johar Town, next to Federal Government Employees Colony is the main target of the land mafia where they initially construct makeshift cottages on plots and later construct boundary walls or rooms.

A resident of the vicinity, Rizwan Razi, told The News that e and several other residents had filed applications with the LDA as well as a delegation of residents had also visited the open court of the Punjab chief minister but to no avail.

Razi alleged that a nazim of one of Lahore’s nine towns was behind the land grabbing activity. He said the recently grabbed plots were located adjacent to his residence and were LDA property. He said he did not know why LDA officials were silent over this illegal activity.

“The modus operandi of the land grabbers is that they initially develop make-shift cottages, then construct cemented house,” he said, adding that several plots in E-II, Johar Town, were presently under the control of land grabbers and their legal owners were going pillar to post to get their property back. “Some people went to courts and legal action was initiated but the land-grabbing mafia is very strong and got stay orders,” he maintained.

“During the last three months, six out of 14, five marla LDA plots have been occupied by these elements and they are occupying the rest of the area,” Razi said and added that he did not know where LDA teams were conducting clean-up operations because they were not aware of the ongoing land grabbing in their neighborhood.

When contacted, a spokesman for the LDA said the authority had initiated an operation clean-up against illegal land occupants at Johar Town and had no soft spot for land grabbers. He said residents should approach the LDA director general in person or they could send him their complaint at the email address: dglda@lda.gop.pk. The DG himself checks the mail and takes immediate action on every complaint, he said.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=162296