LAHORE: National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has asked Lahore Development Authority to provide complete details of illegal private housing societies, according to a report by a private media outlet.
So far details of over 300 illegal housing societies/schemes have been provided to NAB in recent past while the list of more than 350 illegal housing societies is being prepared.
According to the report, LDA’s Metropolitan Planning Wing is responsible to check, scrutinise and allow a private housing society/scheme in the LDA’s controlled area but allegedly the wing joined hands with land mafia and allowed the establishment of hundreds of unapproved/illegal housing societies.
Metropolitan Planning Wing’s main role is future planning of Lahore as well as processing of private housing schemes. Under the procession of private housing schemes, the wing is responsible for scrutiny of building plans of private housing schemes, scrutiny of NOCs as per proposed schemes and preparation and implementation of the master plan.
As per LDA rules, a new scheme should submit an application to the wing, which will see that all the basic parameters are fulfilled. Then the case will be sent to the scrutiny committee, which will allow execution of the scheme after fulfilment of planning standards. The wing also mortgage plots of the society and in case of any illegality LDA can sell the mortgaged plots.
Waheed Butt, LDA’s Chief Metropolitan Town Planner said that it was the responsibility of a buyer to always check the legal status of a housing society from the LDA before making the final transaction.
