PESHAWAR, Feb 12: Some influential groups have launched housing schemes at least under 20 different names in parts of the Peshawar district, most of which are illegal.

Sources in a local government department told Dawn that the schemes had been launched in connivance with the staff concerned of the district’s four towns without fulfilling official requirements.

“The owners have neither obtained permission from relevant departments nor initiated work on the sites. However, they have started luring clients by establishing offices with mostly female staff and giving attractive advertisements in print and electronic media,” said a source.

He said the National Accountability Bureau had started investigation into the matter.

When contacted, City Nazim Ghulam Ali said there was no harm in launching the schemes and the city government was ready to extend cooperation to the housing societies by constructing roads and sewerage system.

However, Mohammad Arif Khan, director of the Building Control Authority, City Development and Municipal Department, Peshawar, said no one had the legal right to launch housing schemes without approval of the map from the department.

He said the provincial government, through a notification (NOSO (SRC) LG/4-30/2004) issued on Oct 12, 2005, had declared construction and advertisement of such private colonies and towns illegal, unless permitted by the district government.

“We have it in our knowledge and action has already been taken against those violating the rules by collecting money from people in the names of various towns, colonies, or plazas,” he said.

He said only the Shaheen Foundation on the Warsak Road had been given provisional approval and final permission would be given only after fulfilment of the procedure of the Building Control Agency of the CDMD.

The cases of three other housing schemes, Professor Colony on the Nasir Bagh Road, Al-Masa on the Warsak Road and Al-Haram on the Ring Road, were in process and none of them had so far been permitted officially, he said.

He said private schemes that had been declared illegal in Peshawar included M/S Grden Towns, Dilazak Road, Raham Land advertisers, Amir Gul Plaza, Galaxi Town, Ring Road, Peshtakhara, M/S Al-Falah Group of Marketting Sarhad Mansion, G.T. Road, M/S Al-Haram Town near Hayatabad Phase-II Bridge, Kakakhel Town, Dilazak Road, Al-Himra Properties Dilazak, Iqbal Town Dilazak Road/ring Road, M/S Al-Himra Properties Ring road Paharipura, M/S Hayat Gardens Dilazak Road, Peshawar Gardens GT Road, Dir Town, M/S Al-Namra Town, Gul Town Larama, M/S Babo Colony, Malik Iftikhar Momin Town, Iqbal Town Samar Bagh Dilazak Road, Mufti Mehmood Town, Larama Al-Namra Property, Ring Road, Ruhail Colony and M/S Ruhail Estate Agency, Dilazak Road.

He said cases would be registered against those violating the rules. He said notices had already been issued to the persons concerned for producing relevant documents, including maps, to the Building Control Agency, but most of them were avoiding being contacted for the purpose.

He said legal action would be taken after displaying the notices, saying no one would be allowed to usurp others’ rights.