LAHORE In an apparent move to facilitate the private housing scheme owners, the Punjab government has announced to give the facility of allocating two per cent of total land instead of five per cent for public buildings like parks, mosques, schools and hospitals and keeping the width of inside roads of housing schemes 30 feet instead of 40 feet in private housing schemes. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has given approval to the amendment in the Punjab Private Housing Schemes and Land Division Rules 2010, on the recommendations of special committee headed by Secretary Local Government and Community Development Department Punjab Khizar Hayat Gondal set up in this regard. However, the government believes that it was going to benefit the labourers since these housing schemes were not being completed because of certain curbs since it was obligatory for private housing schemes in Punjab to allocate five to ten per cent of total land for public buildings like parks, mosques, schools and hospitals. Similarly, it was binding upon every private housing scheme that there should be not less than 40 feet width of inside roads of the scheme. It has been asserted by the government that due to these strict conditions, the development work of private housing schemes had become stand still. Resultantly, not only skilled persons, shopkeepers supplying building material and the labourers were being affected but the common man despite the depositing amounts for the plots were running from pillar to post for getting the possession of the plots. The CM took immediate notice of it and directed the Chief Secretary to evolve a strategy for relaxation in the rules, after that a special committee headed by Secretary LG& CD Department Khizar Hayat Gondal was constituted. Secretary Housing, Secretary Law, Commissioner Gujranwala Division, Project Director Urban Unit, Director General Rawalpindi Development Authority, DCO Lahore and Tehsil Municipal Officer Ferozewala Agha Humayun were members of the Committee. The CM has given approval to the amendment in the Punjab Private Housing Schemes and Land Division Rules 2010 on the recommendations of Chairman Special Committee Khizar Hayat Gondal, according to which, the minimum limit for allocating land for public buildings in private housing schemes has been reduced from 5 per cent to 2 per cent whereas the width of the roads inside the housing schemes has been reduced from 40 feet to 30 feet. Khizar Hayat Gondal mentioned that as a result of this facility being provided by the Punjab government to private housing schemes, there will be lot of opportunities of flourishing the housing sector in private sector and not only the development works would be accelerated but the skilled persons, labourers and the business of the persons supplying material will be promoted. He said the allotees facing problems despite depositing amount to private housing schemes, would be able to get developed plots soon. He said the number of housing units in Punjab is already very low and it would help solve residential problems.