LAHORE - The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) executed dozens development projects last year and achieved a number of new milestones of infrastructure in the provincial metropolis.
The Engineering Wing of LDA completed construction of 3.4 kilo-meters long road for connecting Moulana Shoukat Ali Road Johar Town with Multan Road via Punjab University and Kareem Block Allama Iqbal Town, at a cost of Rs1.72 billion.
A 5.2-meter deep underpass was also constructed along Canal Road for easing the traffic going towards Muslim Town from Tokhar Niaz Baig.
Widening and improvement of road in Kareem Block Allama Iqbal and realignment of Kharak Drain was also done and a signal free junction at Canal Bridge Jinnah Hospital was established for the benefit of one hundred and fifty three thousand vehicles per day.
The project of connecting two important inter-city roads, Ferozepur Road and Multan Road, by covering Cantt Drain and constructing a two kilo-meters long three-lane dual carriage way from LOS stop Ferozepur Road to Multan Road was also completed at a cost of Rs4.35 billion. More than 70 thousand commuters are being benefitted daily through this corridor.
Construction of a seven kilo meters long signal-free corridor along Jail Road and Main Boulevard, Gulberg, is in final stages. Two under-passes at Shadman Chowk and Fawara Chowk have been completed and construction of a flyover from Main Boulevard Gulberg to Sherpao Bridge was in full swing.
Widening and improvement of Main Road Sheikupura has been carried out at a cost of Rs2.42 billion.
The Punjab government executed construction of mega project of 27.1 km long Orange Line Metro Train in the city which would be completed with a huge amount of estimated amount of Rs 165 billion within 27 months (2017). Work on Pakistan’s first ever Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project is also in progress with an estimated cost of the civil work amounting to Rs55 billion.
Under the public private partnership mode, LDA is executing project for construction of Flyover at Railway Crossing, Defence Road near Kahna-Katcha on BOT basis. The construction cost of the project amounting to Rs3b will be borne by the private partner.
Arrangements are also underway for construction of GT Road Expressway from Shahdara to Kala Shah Kaku, under the same mode.
Construction of Hockey Stadiums at Sheikupura and Nankana Sahib was also in progress.
Traffic Engineering and Transport Planning Agency (TEPA), a subordinate agency of LDA, executed project for construction of Link connecting Lahore Moterway (M2) near Shahpur Kanjran to Raiwind Road and Khayaban-e-Jinnah at a cost of Rs2.61 billion. Total length of the project is 4.6 kilometres, which is daily benefitting 65 thousand vehicles.
So far as the overall performance of LDA is concerned, Town Planning Wing of LDA collected more than Rs3.09b on account of commercialization fee, including Rs2.80b under the head of permanent commercialisation and remaining Rs285 million against annual/temporary commercialisation during the year 2015, says an LDA annual report.
As many as 2902 properties, which had failed to pay the commercialisation fee despite repeated notices, had been sealed during this period to gear up collection of commercialisation charges from these properties. All the 2569 applications seeking permanent commercialisation were disposed of.
More than 670 illegal buildings had also been demolished in different housing schemes and controlled area.
Special counter at LDA’s One Window Cell also imparted necessary information to prospective buyers about the legal status of private housing schemes and plots situated in them.
Marketing campaigns by private housing schemes were also closely monitored and their unsubstantiated claims regarding their housing schemes were countered for safeguarding the savings of the intending buyers.
Approval was granted to four new private housing schemes. A total of 200 show cause notices were served to developers/sponsors of housing schemes/land sub-division for delay in executing development works.
FIRs were got registered against 38 illegal housing schemes and 45 operations were carried out for demolishing structures illegally set up by these schemes. Offices of 40 housing schemes were sealed for their failure in executing transfer/mortgage deeds.
As many as 4594 applications for issuance of No Objection Certificate (NOC) were disposed of out of the 5072 applications received for this purpose. A total of 4727 applications were received for issuance of transfer letters out of which 4454 had been disposed of.
The Security Featured Documents Cell of LDA issued a total 21860 documents of 25 different natures including allocation letter, completion certificate, physical possession, entitlement performa, exchange letter, exemption letter, legal heirs, ownership requisition, PTM, physical possession, possession order, qabza patwari, sanction plan and transfer letter during 2015.
To finish the long ordeal of thousands of affectees, who could not get possession of their plots even after 12 years because of prolonged litigation, LDA carried out re-planning of its housing scheme LDA Avenue-One and created 1599 additional plots. These plots were allotted to the affectees through computerized balloting, held twice with the cooperation of Punjab Information Technology Board.
A commission for resolving issues of bonafide purchasers of plots in LDA schemes or sorting out matters related to unlawfully developed housing schemes and illegal constructions, was constituted by the Punjab government.
Project for Development and Implementation of Integrated Computerized System for over all computerization of LDA’s functioning and record was commenced which will cost Rs285 million. Files of more than 80,000 plots in LDA’s own housing schemes will be scanned and digitised under this project.
All the applications received at the One Window Cell of LDA for transfer of plots, approval of building plans, issuance of completion certificates and disposal of other public matters will be carried out through the specially designed software after the completion of this project.
A Record Sifting Cell was also established by LDA for removing impediments and simplifying the procedure for transfer of plots in minimum possible time.