wah cantt - The district civic body has failed to take action against unapproved housing societies in Taxila, despite the fact that recently, as many as 10 such societies in the tehsil were declared illegal.

Building control wing of the respective civic body has declared the said housing societies as illegal and un-authorised, however; no action has been taken against these societies operating in violation of Punjab Development of Cities Act 1976 and RDA Building and Zoning Regulations 2007.

According to the list issued by Sana Ullah Khan, assistant director building control at the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), 10 societies in tehsil Taxila were operating without following the set procedures. The societies include Wapda Town, Faisal Town, OGDCL Housing Society, and others.

Moreover, the RDA has warned masses through newspaper advertisements to restrain from sale and purchase of property in the schemes declared unauthorised, but this could not help.

“As these societies are owned by influential people who are often backed by political bigwigs, RDA management is reluctant to take action against them,” inside sources said. “We are committed to taking stern action against such societies but political pressure is the main hurdle in this regard,” an official revealed while seeking anonymity.

When contacted, Chief Officer Tehsil Municipal Administration Qammar Zeeshan said that under the Building and Zoning Regulations 2007, action against illegal or unauthorised housing schemes become subject of district government and the tehsil administration has nothing to do with it.

To a question, he said that the RDA’s Enforcement Wing was responsible for taking action against unauthorised commercial and residential constructions and encroachments in the district under the Punjab Development of Cities Act 1976 and the RDA Building and Zoning Regulations 2007, adding that the TMA could only assist them in any operation.

The RDA spokesman Hafiz Irfan said that the authority persistently took action against illegal housing societies while notices were issued to them on several occasions on the directives of the Rawalpindi Commissioner. He said that the RDA Building Control Wing was regularly conducting operations with assistance of police against illegal housing societies.

Meanwhile, a candle-light vigil at the ancient Buddhist site near Taxila was organised on Monday by students of different schools to condemn the gruesome rape and murder of seven-year-old Zainab in Kasur.

The vigil was organised by an NGO, at the Buddhist site dated back to 3rd century BC from where the Buddha’s message of peace and tolerance spread around the world in the 5th Century AD.

Asim Meer, president of the NGO, said that this was the place where Buddhism had been revived.

He said, “The civil society has been mobilised, you will see participation from different institutions in the protest and we all demand justice for Zainab- the gloomy incident that has shaken the nation’s core”.

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