‘LDA land use regulations to boost business activities’

LAHORE:Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has allowed setting up of area development projects for constructing commercial plazas on pieces of land measuring 24 kanals or more located on 60 feet wide roads besides permitting amalgamation of a piece of land equal in size and adjacent to an existing business.

Lahore Development Authority Vice Chairman SM Imran said this while talking to the media here on Wednesday. He said approval of Land Use Regulations by the governing body of LDA in its recent meeting would boost business activities in all the four districts of Lahore Division. He said under these regulations, size of a plot, width of the road and other criteria have been fixed for starting new business. He said prescribed width of roads in the districts of Kasur, Sheikhupura and Nankana Sahib for various businesses has been reduced under these regulations for convenience of business community in these cities.

Implementation of land use regulations for starting new ventures will facilitate business and create new employment opportunities for people, he observed. Meanwhile, Chairman LDA Bonafide Commission Justice (Retd) Muhammad Tariq Ch called on Vice Chairman LDA SM Imran and briefed him on the performance of the commission. He said the commission was dealing with pending cases on priority and it has decided 33 important cases in recent three weeks.

Vice Chairman SM Imran said it is the mandate of the commission to solve the longstanding problems of citizens. The resolution of complex cases and their timely decision would be a great achievement for providing relief to people, he added.

He thanked government for the appointing the chairman of the commission. In order to protect the interests of bona fide purchasers of illegally acquired plots / other properties in LDA housing schemes as well as the owners of buildings and housing schemes established in violation of law, the Punjab government had constituted Lahore Development Authority Commission under Section 32 of the Lahore Development Authority (Amendment) Act for impartial settlement of their disputes with LDA.

The government has reactivated the commission and has appointed its new chairman and member. Anyone who claims to be the genuine buyer of a plot in good faith and whose allotment or change of interest in his favour has been canceled or objected to by the authority can apply to the commission for seeking relief. In addition, a person who owns or occupies an illegal building or developer of an illegal housing scheme can also approach the commission for dispute resolution. Furthermore, on direction by Director General, Lahore Development Authority, Ahmed Aziz Tarar, the staff of Town Planning Wing Zone Two conducted an operation against illegal constructions and demolished a marquee that had been unlawfully set up on Wahdat Road near Mustafa Town. On the other hand, staff of the Town Planning Wing Zone III conducted an operation against defaulters of commercialisation fee and sealed 18 buildings in Faisal Town and Upper Mall area.