LAHORE: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) plans to hold a ballot after Eid through an independent firm for allotment of alternate plots to those whose plots are under litigation at Avenue-1 scheme, Raiwind Road, Dawn has learnt.

According to senior LDA officials, the total number of LDA Avenue-1 affectees is about 4,000 and the plots additionally created to compensate them through an extensive exercise are around 2,000.

“At first, there was a plan to allot alternate plots to the affectees through an independent committee of the LDA. Later, the plan was replaced with a ballot by the departments concerned of the authority. Now, the administration has changed this plan as well as it wants to hold a free and fair ballot through any firm/agency other than the LDA,” a senior official told Dawn.

He said decision to hold a ballot through the third party was made not only to ensure transparency but also to avoid unnecessary allegations, doubts, confusion or misunderstanding among the people. Since the administration was looking for a suitable firm for a transparent balloting, the LDA planned to submit the case before its governing body in an upcoming meeting to be presided over by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the official added.

“I believe the LDA will remain unable to allot alternate plots to all of its affectees as the number of plots, additionally created through reducing size of greenbelts or roads, is 2,000. If we create 1,000 more, we will allot these to 1,000 more but even then about 1,000 of the total 4,000 affectees will surely be without plots. The LDA should be ready to pay back the money they deposited about 10 years back, with interest, in the near future,” the official said while responding to various queries.

Talking about delays in development work and possession to the Avenue-1 allottees at about 70pc cleared area of the scheme, the official said the lack of funds, officials’ disinterest and other administrative issues in the past were the main hurdles.

“Now we have almost done this job and will give possession to the allottees after Eid,” he added.The official said the LDA had won the case related to litigation of the scheme’s L-Block, which had enabled it in retrieving 477kanal land.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2014