LAHORE:A mega scandal of alleged corruption is unearthed in the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) where several buildings were commercialised on major roads of Johar Town years before the roads were declared commercial roads.
Sources in LDA’s Town Planning Wing claimed that the scandal was just the tip of an iceberg and similar nature of fraud could be found if the authority conducted a complete forensic audit of different main roads in major commercial hubs like Garden Town, Johar Town, Canal Bank Road, Gulberg, Defence Road, Pine Avenue and Raiwind Road etc.
A senior official of Town Planning Wing told the scribe that as per LDA rules commercial fees was taken from the property owners on designated commercial roads as per a prescribed formula. He said in this case, several buildings were identified as being declared commercial years before the roads were declared list A roads.
He explained that in this way the authority suffered huge financial loss as well as the illegal commercial buildings were also made legal. He said the financial loss suffered because commercialisation fee was charged from property owners according to that year’s DC rate whereas it has to be according to the DC rate after any road was declared as list A.
Echoes of this scandal also listened in the recently held authority meeting, minutes of which were available with the scribe. It was added in the authority’s agenda under the subject: Decision regarding Commercialisation of the properties in MA Johar Town. Under the agenda, several plot numbers were mentioned where the practice was done.
As per the authority meeting minutes, in one of the cases, commercialisation file of some properties was missing in the record. The case of commercialisation was approved and a commercial letter was issued vide no DTP (C) LDA226 dated 8.1.2015 when the Bypass Road was frozen, i.e. List B road, where commercialisation was not allowed as per rules.
After promulgation of LDA Land-Use Rules 2020, Bypass Road has been declared as List A road i.e. allowed for commercialisation vide notification LDA/DC&l/223 dated 5.4.2022, which showed that the buildings were declared commercial seven years earlier.
In another case, commercialisation of a building was approved and commercial letter was issued vide No DTP (C)/LDA/227 dated 8.1.2015 when the Khayaban-e-Firdousi Road was frozen i.e. List B road where commercialisation was not allowed as per rules.
The authority decided to apply present valuation table rates for commercialisation of the plots, falling on List-A roads only, and adjust the already deposited amount in new valuation, as per LDA Land Use Rules 2020. The Chief Town Planner concerned was directed to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the delinquent officials involved.
When contacted, LDA Director General Tahir Farooq said that he has also constituted a special committee to investigate the matter. He said forensic audit of random commercial hubs will be carried out to find any similar cases and those involved will be punished.
