LAHORE - The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) on Sunday started remodelling and repair of Thokar Niaz Beg for better traffic flow and drainage.

LDA, National Highway Authority, Motorway Police, Safe Cities Authority, Lahore Ring Road Authority, Traffic Police, Rescue 1122 and Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) are working jointly on the Thokar Niaz Beg remodelling project.

LDA Director General Uman Moazam visited the site. Talking to the media, he said that remodelling, restoration and repair of Thokar Niaz Beg was started on the directions of Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar. He said the LDA would also focus on beautification of the area under this project.

Thokar Niaz Beg, being one of the main entrances to the metropolis, needs remodelling and improvement to improve traffic flow, the DG said. “A committee has been formed that will consider all possible ways to ease the traffic flow, including construction of overhead bridges and making zebra crossings,” he said. It has also been decided to remove irrelevant billboards at Thokar Niaz Beg.

Moreover, LDA has issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the Directorate of Law and other directorates for developing an efficient system of monitoring of legal cases in the courts. A notification in this regard has been issued.

According to SOPs document available with The Nation, the director (law) deputed by the LDA DG will govern the affairs of the Directorate of Law and a reasonable number of deputy director (law) and assistant director (law) shall be deputed under the director (law) to look after the cases pending in different courts.

Pending cases in different courts shall be categorized and assigned by the director (law) as per sensitivity and interest of LDA involved in each case. “In case of delay in assailing the adverse orders, the director (law) shall initiate a probe and take action against the responsible,” according to SOPs.

The LDA DG also issued SOPs for file covers to be used for case files including red for ‘A’ category cases, blue for ‘B’ category cases and green for ‘C’ category cases.

SOPs for civil courts were also issued -- director (law) will assign the Assistant Director Law to manage the affairs of the civil court in office.

It is also made compulsory that after finalization of comments or reports, the Assistant Director in client directorates will attach its copy on web portal and forward the original copy to Director Law.

DG LDA also issued SOPs for appeals or revisions filed by LDA and set five days for appeal and 10 days for revision of the appeal.

The Legal Advisor will be responsible for contesting the case in the court vigorously and to safeguard the interest of LDA and will also be responsible for intimating the Directions/ orders passed by the courts and outcome of the each and every case within two days of the receipt of the order.