LDA adopts soft policy against defaulters

LAHORE:Town Planning (TP) Wing of Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has adopted a soft policy against the defaulters of government fees and allowed them to run their businesses just by sending them notices.

Sources in LDA claimed that there were hundreds of defaulters of commercialisation and other fees worth billions of rupees but different wings of LDA only send them soft notices to fill the files and cover up any future legal action by Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) or any other government agency.

In extreme pressure, Town Planning officials used to seal the defaulting premises, which were usually de-sealed after taking an undertaking from the owner that they will pay their pending fees. In some cases, TP officials also send requests for registration of FIRs, disconnection of electricity and water connections and ban on sale or purchase of the defaulting premises but didn’t follow these letters.

One of the best examples in this regard was the case of the UFC Gym situated at Defence Road. ACE took up the case of the pending dues of the gym and sent a notice to the LDA’s Director TP (Zone-V) on which he sealed the gym on the day of his appearance in the ACE.

Three days back before the appearance at the ACE, notices were sent to ADCR with the subject “Request to impose ban regarding sale/purchase/transfer on land bearing Khasra No 2,475, 2,474, 2,473, 2,396, 2,403 to 2,406, 2,391, 2,393, 2,394, Khata No 51/26, 49/25, 48/24, 251/208, 52/27, 50/2,526 Khatoni No 55, 53, 52, 311, 56, 54 Mouza Sadhoki Tehsil Model Town.”

“Demand challan was issued amounting to Rs153,273,600 dated 03-03-2021 and its due date was 18-03-2021. However, despite repeated reminders and notices the owner did not deposit the land use conversion fee. The owner/occupant/is running business in the name of UFC Gym at the site,” the notice said and requested the ADCR that being defaulters of the government as surcharge @17.5 per cent was applicable as per rates of current fiscal year 2023-24, ban may be imposed on sale/purchase/transfer on the subject land.

Sources in LDA claimed that the Chief Town Planner told the LDA DG that there were two major defaulters of TP wing and UFC Gym was one of them as around Rs900 millions was pending towards it. However, the recent challan made by the LDA for the gym was only of around Rs150 millions. When contacted, LDA Chief Town Planner Shakeel Anjum Minhas said that there was no such policy and LDA has recovered around Rs6 billion during the previous fiscal year in terms of different fees.

Talking about the case of UFC Gym, he said he has already directed the Director TP concerned to issue notices to all the govt departments concerned and explore all other legal ways to recover the pending amount.