Housing societies

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) authorities have sought the list of illegal housing societies from the Lahore Development Authority (LDA). The chief town planner of the LDA has subsequently asked buyers to check the status of a housing society before the final transaction. What a strange way to deal with such sensitive situation where billions of hard earned money of poor people is at stake. The question is: had these housing societies appeared in Lahore in dark? There are advertisements in newspapers. Were LDA officials unaware of such societies at the time of their launch? An advertisement and a call for booking cannot be made public without the connivance of LDA officers.

Additionally, there is no way to confirm the legal status of any housing society in Lahore. This is because the contact numbers of the Town Planning Department are always unreachable. This matter requires immediate and adequate solution to protect the hard earned money of the poor from going to waste. Many people, including widows and pensioners, invest in these housing schemes to have a secured future. LDA authorities are requested to take strict action against their own responsible officials first and to safeguard the public interest at large. They should take steps to regularise these societies. Punishing thousands of people for the misdeeds of a few is not just.

Safdar Ali

Lahore