October 11, 2008	Saturday	Shawwal 11, 1429

LAHORE, Oct 9: A Punjab committee has finalised a commercialisation policy for Lahore and sent it to the chief minister for approval, officials told Dawn on Friday.

The committee, headed by Chief Secretary Javed Mahmood, visited Lahore streets to check the commercial activity last month.

Officials said the policy to be announced in a day or two would address the concerns of those doing business on some major boulevards, especially MM Alam Road, who feared ending of commercial activity there. Dawn learnt the recommendations included that commercial activity once granted should not be withdrawn for the benefit of people

A senior official said they had recommended that ending commercial activity on roads where it had already been granted would be a great injustice with the investors.

Those who had bought costly property for doing business and declaring it now a residential property would render them a great economic loss, he said.

When the country needed more investment and job opportunities it would not be wise to curtail already granted commercial activity in cities like Lahore, he said.

He said the policy recommended measures for better traffic control, sanitation, parking system and security in commercial areas to tackle common complaints there.

The official said the Punjab government had given a land use policy in March this year, laying down parameters of commercialisation of residential areas.

The policy was good but the present government formed a committee under retired bureaucrat Tasneem Noorani in July this year to find out whether it contained any loopholes.

Traders of some important roads were concerned when the committee recommended that out of 58 commercialised roads under the control of the Lahore Development Authority, commercial activity should be allowed only on eight.

The localities recommended to be declared non-commercial one included MM Alam Road whose traders started protesting. This forced the government to form the committee which has now finalised its recommendations.