LAHORE, May 24: The Lahore Development Authority has established a trust for providing additional financial support on a regular basis to the families of the employees who died in a fire incident at the LDA Plaza on May 9.

The decision was taken at a meting of the LDA’s Governing Body at Johar Town on Friday.

The meeting, which was presided over by District Coordination Officer/LDA chairman Syed Rizwan Mahboob, was attended by Director-General Dr Ijaz Munir, Additional DG (Headquarters) Mariyam Kayani, Wasa Managing Director Dr Javed Iqbal, Chief Engineer Israr Saeed Khan and representatives of the provincial and local government, housing, planning and development, and finance departments.

The higher-ups decided that the monetary assistance would be in addition to the compensation and service benefits including pension already given to such families.

“Initially, Rs15 million will be allocated by the LDA. Other donors like NGOs, philanthropists and the public at large will also be persuaded to contribute to this fund for the betterment of the bereaved families,” Mr Mahboob said. He said the affairs of the trust would be governed by the Board of Trustees (BoTs) which would comprise LDA director general (trust chairman), additional director general (headquarters), ADG (housing), directors of finance and administration wings, two members each from civil society and the deceased employees’ families.

The meeting also decided to allot plot No I-B-I (Township), measuring 22 kanals, to the Special Education Department to establish a rehabilitation centre for the disabled. The plot, having an estimated value of Rs120 million, has been leased out for a period of 99 years against a sum of Rs99 only as a contribution by the LDA for this noble cause.

“This decision will not serve as a precedent for allotment of plots on lease,” the authorities said.

In order to avoid any untoward incident, the body also decided to dismantle the LDA Plaza’s seventh, eighth and ninth floors that had been severely damaged by the fire. The LDA has already doubled the amount of compensation being paid to the families of the 24 victims. To provide reasonable jobs to the qualified children of the deceased employees, the LDA has forwarded a summary to the chief minister for approval.

DESIGN: The City District Government of Lahore’s High-Level Design Committee on Friday refused to approve designs/drawings of two plazas on Brandreth Road for lacking fire-safety provisions.

At a meeting presided over by the DCO, the committee asked the design submitters to ensure provision of safety arrangements first if they desired approval for their buildings. The committee approved map of the National College of Arts cafeteria.

ILLEGAL STRUCTURES: Various town administrations on Friday launched an operation against illegally constructed buildings/plazas and stopped construction at 24 sites.

Officials said the Data Ganj Bakhsh Town admin sealed and stopped construction of 10 buildings at Hospital Road (Pan Mandi), Fish Market, Hall Road, Temple Road and Abid Market.

The Gulberg Town admin stopped the construction work of three buildings adjacent to Bombay Building at Garhi Shahu Chowk, Shalimar Hospital Link Road and Queen’s Mary College.

Aziz Bhatti Town officials lodged an FIR against a man for constructing a building unlawfully at Mughalpura. Allama Iqbal Town Administration lodged three FIRs besides serving five notices on those involved in building laws violation, the officials said.