Devise strategy for transparent allotment of houses: minister

LAHORE: A meeting of the Standing Committee on Law was held at the Civil Secretariat under the chairmanship of Punjab Minister for Law and Cooperatives Raja Basharat on Friday. Provincial Minister for Higher Education Raja Yasir Humayun and concerned officers were also present on the occasion.

The new proposed policy of allotment of houses and ownership rights in the labour colonies of Workers Welfare Board was reviewed during the meeting. Secretary Labour Dr Ahmed Javed Qazi gave a briefing on various aspects of the new allotment policy.

The briefing said that under the new policy, workers who would get a house in Labour Colony would be able to get property rights by paying the price fixed by the competent committee, while 95% of the houses would be allocated to registered workers, 3% for their widows and 2% for the workers with disability.

The Law Minister directed that the mechanism of allotment of houses in labour colonies should be made transparent and conditions should be tightened to prevent further sale or misuse of allotted houses. He said that all basic facilities to be provided in labour colonies.

Minister for Higher Education Raja Yasir Humayun said that it should be ensured through modern technology that a worker who already owned a plot or a house should not be allotted a house in any Labour Colony.

The Cabinet Committee approved the department's suggestion that if a house is not available in the home district for a widow of the deceased labourer, then a house available in any district in Punjab could be allotted.

APP adds: Meanwhile, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has issued allotment letters for plots in LDA City Jinnah Sector after balloting. According to an LDA spokesperson here on Friday, the Authority had started receiving development charges from March 2020 in quarterly installments.

The deadline for submission of the first three installments passed in March 2021, and the last date for payment of fourth installment was due in June 30, 2021. The plot file holders who failed to deposit the development charges on time would be charged a penalty of 17.5 per cent.

He said the file holders should deposit the development charges in four installments and get their allotment letters from the LDA City Office at Johar Town. He said that plot owners should bring the copies of the challans of development charges paid so far, original exemption letter and identity card to receive their allotment letters.

He said that in the wake of coronavirus situation, sick and elderly people or any other person who was unable to come to the office could receive the allotment letter through an authority letter in the name of any family member.