FAISALABAD, July 28: The Faisalabad Development Authority (FDA) has declared 25 more under developed housing schemes, including Lawyers Housing Scheme and Telecom Employees Cooperative Housing Scheme, as illegal.

Revenue officers have been asked not to proceed cases of transfers of plots of illegal housing schemes in the larger public interest.

Sources said that during a survey and operation of FDA authorities, it was revealed that developers had launched dozens of private housing schemes without fulfilling codal requirements.

At least 25 housing schemes — Gulfishan Garden, Rehman Village, Madina Garden, Telecom Employees Cooperative Housing Scheme, Sehgal City, Ali Garden, Sangam Centre, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Gulshan-i-Rahim, Gulshan-i-Noor, Rehman City, Abdullah City, Albarkat Villas, Noor Garden, Mian Town, Khushi Town, Ilyas Garden, Imdad Town, Kamal Town, Karim Garden, Motorway City, Rehman Villas, Lawyers Housing Scheme, Sadiq Town and Al-Rehmat Homes were declared as illegal.

Notices have been issued to developers of these localities and warned them to stop the sale of plots otherwise they would have to face legal action.

Revenue officers and other administrative authorities have also been asked to take appropriate steps against developers of illegal housing schemes.

Over 200 privately developed housing schemes had been declared illegal by the FDA, but most of plots in these schemes had been sold out and the people had developed their houses after spending huge amounts.

The move against 25 housing schemes will also prove futile as developers are selling plots and transferring their rights in favour of allottees with impunity.

HIGHLIGHTED: Rice varieties developed by the Pakistani scientists possess high yield potential and are comparable with other countries which are presently competing in international rice export market.

This was stated by Rice Research Institute Director Mushtaq Ahmed while speaking at a seminar on ‘Present activities and achievements of Rice Research Institute,’ at Ayub Agricultural Research Institute here on Thursday.

He elaborated the research activities of the institute and highlighted the development process of new rice varieties. He appreciated efforts of the agricultural scientists who developed the rice variety - Basmati 370 - in 1933.

He said the Super Basmati of Pakistan was extensively marketed rice throughout the world and was very popular in the rice purchasing countries. The variety had become a source of higher income for the country and fetched $US621 per ton in June 2005, he said.

Prominent agricultural scientists, heads of different departments and research scholars also addressed the seminar.

They said the main cause of low rice yield in the country was lack of adoption of modern technology as the present varieties developed by the scientists had the potential of obtaining higher yield.

They emphasized that the yield gap between progressive and ordinary farmers needed to be narrowed by the adoption of modern technology and consequently per acre yield of rice could be increased tremendously.

Oil Seed Research Institute Director Anwar Butt in his concluding remarks emphasized the need for distribution of quality rice seed among farmers, particularly in non-core areas, to increase production in the country.

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