LAHORE, June 22: The Lahore Development Authority has declared provisional the previously notified prices of plots in its Avenue-I Housing Scheme after the allotment of plots.

The authority has also refused to change the plots of odd sizes.

The sword of increase in prices of plots has been hung on the heads of the allottees in the allotment letters issued to them by the authority. They have been informed that the prices being charged from them were ‘provisional’ as these had been calculated on the basis of the cost of land and development charges.

The price could raise in case of increase in price of land or development charges incurred on provision of gas, electricity and telephone facilities.

The allottees fear an increase in prices of plots on the pretext of raise in land acquisition cost or provision of gas, telephone or electricity facilities on the pattern of Jubilee Town.

The LDA charged Rs2,000 per marla extra on the average from the allottees in the scheme on the ground that it had to provide land to Wapda for the construction of a grid station.

The cost of land was recovered from the allottees of the plots in the scheme.

The allottees of plots are in a fix about the acceptance of the condition in respect of increase in prices of plots because the authority has informed them that they would be considered to have accepted all its terms and conditions, including the one relating to increase in price of plots in case they pay the first instalment of the price.

Refusal to accept the terms and conditions by not paying the instalments of the cost would result in cancellation of the allotment and forfeiture of 10 per cent advance paid by them with their applications for allotment of plots.

While all the allottees of plots are worried about the possibility of an almost certain increase in prices of plots, hundreds of them are worried about their allotments. These are the people who have been allotted 1,800 kanals of land owned by four cooperative housing societies.

The association of the societies claims that a sizable number of plots allotted to the LDA Avenue-I Housing Scheme applicants were fully developed and had been allotted to their members. They said that the authority planned to start development of the scheme from October this year but had allotted developed plots to the applicants for its scheme in June.

The authority has not only allotted plots in the schemes of the cooperative housing societies to hundreds of the applicants but has also allotted plots of odd sizes to a number of others despite the assurances that plot sizes would be good and has refused to change the same.

Some of the applicants have been allotted triangular plots making them wonder as to how they would build their houses on the same.

The allottees of plots of odd sizes have been left with no choice except the acceptance of the plots as their fait accompli because refusal would result in imminent cancellation of their allotments and forfeiture of 10 per cent advance price paid with their applications.