Illegal properties razed, sealed

LAHORE: Lahore Development Authority (LDA) carried out two major operations here on Wednesday. In the first operation, LDA team took action against seven illegal land subdivisions/residential schemes and demolished the sewerage system, boundary walls, offices and roads of these schemes. The team sealed the extension office of an illegal scheme.

In another operation, LDA teams along with team of TEPA conducted operation in the vicinity of Main Boulevard Garden Town, Barkat Market and sealed more than a dozen properties and removed two dozen encroachments.

More than a dozen private offices, plazas, private banks, marquees, restaurants were sealed for violating parking rules. The teams removed encroachments from around 25 plazas and parking areas outside the offices. Encroachment were removed from the parking areas of Asia Centre, Ibrahim Centre, Salar Centre, Al Qadir Plaza and others located on Boulevard Garden Town while the offices, cafes and other encroachments built in the basement of commercial plazas and the space reserved for parking were demolished.

The teams removed encroachments from the parking area of famous coffee shops, food chains, restaurants, shopping malls, hotels and others in Gulberg. Several notices were issued to these properties for corrective measures before the operation but they ignored them.

Measures to improve traffic discussed

Meanwhile, a meeting was held on improving the flow of traffic in the City under the chairmanship of Commissioner Lahore and DGLDA Muhammad Ali Randhawa. Nespak gave a briefing on the proposed/optional design of Barkat Market Chowk and Garhi Shahu.

TEPA and Nespak officers gave briefing about the proposed U-turns at the busiest points. In the meeting, Garhi Shahu, Karim Block and Kharak stop were also discussed while remodeling of other points, including Qizilbash Chowk was came under discussion.

The meeting was told that TEPA was carrying out mock exercises at five points, including Nishtar Chowk Ferozepur Road, Abdul Haq Road Khokhar Chowk, Do Moriya Pul, Gajjumata Chowk and Shimla Pahari Chowk for traffic count and flow monitoring.

Commissioner said that the designs would be finalised in the light of mock exercises of TEPA. Commissioner directed that comprehensive measures be taken to improve the traffic. Later, Commissioner visited Cavalry Underpass, Ghora Chowk Flyover, Shahdara Chowk and Controlled Access Corridor Road. LDA Chief Engineer Asrar Saeed, contractor and project director gave a briefing about the progress on the project. Meanwhile, Secretary Housing Punjab Sajid Zafar and Commissioner Lahore and DG LDA Muhammad Ali Randhawa visited LDA One Window Cell and Record Sifting Cell.