LAHORE: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) on Monday claimed to have resolved several longstanding issues and completed various development projects.

“The fate of LDA City project was shrouded in uncertainty for quite some time. In order to get rid of this situation, the authority finally arranged land required for allocating plots to over 9,700 file holders within a short span of nine months after the Supreme Court of Pakistan sought to do so in this regard. Besides this, development works were initiated for Rs3 billion in Phase-1 of LDA City,” an LDA spokesman was quoted as saying in a press release. “Plot numbers have been allocated to all 9,712 file holders through computerised balloting with the help of Punjab Information Technology Board on Nov 30.”

The issue of handing over of possession of plots to more than 2,000 allottees of LDA Avenue-1 had been lingering for 16 years due to litigation and dispute over land with six private housing schemes. The LDA’s governing body decided to settle the issue through negotiation and offered the housing schemes 30 per cent exemption in lieu of the land to be surrendered by them.

“Three out of six schemes have so far accepted this offer resulting in availability of 623 plots for giving possession to the relevant allottees. Negotiations are under way with other schemes as well for making available plots to the remaining allottees.”

The spokesman said the authority completed the civil work for the Orange Line Metro Train project’s operation during 2019 and made relevant arrangements for its trial run. Repair, rehabilitation and uplifting of 46 roads in the city was carried out for Rs600 million.

Similarly, the project for improvement, beautification, traffic management and horticulture work at Thokar Niaz Baig junction and construction of a gate, ‘Baab-e-Lahore’, on Multan Road near Thokar Niaz Baig was also started with Rs250 million. The LDA also started work to boost vertical growth in consultation with private sector experts and other stakeholders.

SHIFTED: As many as 1,700 poor people were shifted to Panahgahs (shelter homes) across the province in the last 24 hours owing to the harsh weather following directions from Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The 1,700 people included 160 in Lahore city alone, according to officials.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2019