RDA fails to check mushroom growth of illegal, fake housing societies

Rawalpindi:Although Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) claims to have taken action against illegal housing societies, however, the mushroom growth of these residential societies in the district belies their claims. In fact, the mushroom growth of illegal housing societies in the district has resulted in the number of these societies reaching over 500 but higher authorities yet seeing the whole drama with closed eyes for years.

The metropolitan planning and traffic engineering branch of the RDA has literally failed to keep a check on developers responsible for the disorderly growth of housing schemes across the city. The said branch has not been “active” from day one.

The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) Director General Saif Anwar Jappa through his spokesman has been claiming time and again that they were doing well to stop illegal housing societies and illegal constructions. In a new press release issued here on Sunday, RDA spokesman Hafiz Muhammad Irfan said that they sealed 4 schools and 1 laboratory in Civil Line Housing Scheme and Asghar Mall Housing Scheme. He claimed that RDA was doing well to stop illegal housing societies.

According to RDA spokesman, only 69 housing societies in Rawalpindi were legal while the rest were not given an NOC to launch the projects. He claimed that RDA teams were working to check illegal housing schemes in and around Rawalpindi city so that action could be taken in this regard.

It is the duty of the civic body to develop a model housing society and ask private developers to imitate the said replica, but the RDA failed to develop such a scheme for years. The civic body was still “busy in collecting fees from the developers” and giving approval to new schemes without any checks and balances. The RDA has notified only 62 housing societies in the city areas, but interestingly, these societies have failed to fulfil the standard operating procedures (SOP) to launch their housing projects.

Under the law, a housing society must provide water supply, sewerage system, graveyard, school and college, and public parks within their limits. “The civic body only issued notices to the unauthorised housing societies, but no solid action has been taken against them.”

Talking to ‘The News’ people belonging to different walks of life are showing strong concerns on mushroom growth of illegal housing societies in the region. They say that people of Potohar region were facing worst shortage of natural resources like drinking water, natural gas, vegetables, fruits and several other items because of ever-increasing of housing societies.

The agricultural land was continuously being used for housing societies which has resulted in vanishing of agricultural activities from the region. If higher authorities do not take action against establishment of housing societies, people of Potohar region will face more and more inflation and shortage of drinking water, electricity, natural gas etc in coming days, people warned.

These housing societies at Chakri Road Rawalpindi have been declared fake and not approved by RDA. Sun Light City, Ali Mola Motorway City, Pak PWD, Gulshan-e-Kashmir (I, II), PARC Cooperative Housing Society, Al-Harmain Town, SSR & Co., Al-Ibrahim City, Vooler City, Osama Town, Sara Town, Chakri Road, Rawalpindi, Sanam Valley, Saleh City, Saad Town, Rawal Garden, Qurtaba Farming, Qurtaba Corporation, New Islamabad Farming, New Islamabad City, National Agro City, Motorway View City, Latif Abad, Khan Model Town, Jammu & Kashmir Enterprises, Islamabad Green Valley, Chakri Road, Rawalpindi, Indus City, Khaber City, Gulshan-e-Mustafa, Gulshan-e-Muhammadi, Gulshan-e-Subhan, Gulshan-e-Batgram, Rawalpindi Green City (phase I-II), Hawk Greens, Near M2 Motorway, Motorway South City, Al-Baddar Motor Way, Pir Meher Ali Shah Town, Khyber Model Town, Chakri Road, Rawalpindi, Al-Heaven Garden, Classic City, Hinna Town, Jafria Town, Gulshan-e-Sangral, Pindi Dairy Town, Rawalpindi Green City (phase I-II) , Dubia City, Posh City, Kolian Par, New York Smart City, Safvanza, Chakbeli Khan Road,

Meanwhile, these housing societies at Adyala Road, Dhamyal Road and Chakri Road have been declared illegal having no approved NOC. Ruden Enclave and Dhala Khasala, Sub-Division (Murtaza Qadir / Raja Faisal), Pak Sar Zameen Town, Jorian, Al-Rehman Colony, Misriot, Rose Valley, Hayaal Ranyal, Al-Makkah City, Adyala, Lake Garden, Chakraan, Gulmerg Green, Kuri Khuda Bakash , Scheme Raja Jahangir, Nisar, Malik Akram, Kuri Khuda Bakash, Sub Division Arroj But, Girja Chakra, Girja Road, MM Villas (Sub-Division), Abn Chak, Hobby Town, Chakbeli Road, Gandhara City (Revised & Extension), Pind Nasralla, Avenue Housing Scheme (old name Airline Avenue), Pind Nasralla, Silver City (Website), Jattal Ranyal, City Model Town, Kolyian Parr, Blue Hills, Chahan, Sangral, Chakri Road, CPEC Resort Housing Scheme (Website), Chahan, Chakri Road, Smart Garden, Chahan, Tameer Garden, Kalyal / Dhagal, Baber Homes / Gulshan-e- Baber, Dhagal, Gulberg Town, Chaklala, Jabbar City, Kaliyal, Jublee Town, Kaak, Kings Town, Dhagal, OGDC Town, Kalri, Pakistan Atomic Energy Employees Cooperative Housing Scheme Phase-II, Manga, Hussain Resorts-I, Baroha, Federal Govt. Employees Cooperative Housing Scheme (Website), Airport Town, Thalian, Mustafa Residencia, Sheikhpur, Globel Avenue Phase I, Chakri, National Town, Jatal, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Mohri Gazan, Gulf City (old name Fatima Town), Misrot, Chakri Road, Addan Homes, Dhamyal, Rawal Enclave, Hayal Ranyal, Chakri, Green Homes (land sub-division), Dhoke Abdullah, Zaryab City, Gharbal, Soni Builders (Dream Homes) (Peace City), Chakri Road, Khayaban-e-Millat, Adyala, OGDC Employees Cooperative Housing Scheme, Dhagal, Radio Colony Employees Cooperative Housing, Kalri, Gulshan-e-Ali, Adyala, Janjua Town I, Jarahi, Janjua Town 2, Jarahi, Janjua Town III, Jarahi, Jinnah Town, Adyala, Samarzar Housing Project, Kaliyal, Khayaban-e-Quaid, Adyala, HamzaTown, Kaliyal, Raja Nisar (Land Sub), Kalyal and Baber Homes (Land Sub), Kalyal Dhagal.