KASUR: A lack of coordination between the local traders and the LDA, high DC rates of commercial land and unsuitable business conditions due to Covid-19 pandemic are keeping the local entrepreneurs away from getting their properties commercialised under the law, Dawn has learnt.

The LDA had launched campaign in four districts -- Metropolitan Lahore, Kasur, Sheikhupura and Nankana Sahib -- to commercialise private land and properties in the areas identified by the district administrations. It served notices on scores of local traders and property owners last week. Seeing the looming shadow of the LDA operation, the traders and property owners demanded a halt in the operation and dialogue with them.

Speaking to Dawn, local traders’ union representatives including Asif Ali, Shahzad Sajid, Muhammad Riaz and Zafar Khokhar said the LDA ought to divide the properties in the commercial zone into various categories all of which were not of equal significance for business as well as market price of the property. They also demanded that traders should be allowed to 20pc of the DC rate at the time of registration of sale deed rather than the current price.

They also demanded that the Punjab government should not have the same yardstick for metro and other cities. The government, they said, should review its policy and save the corona-stricken business community by halting the operation till the conditions are normalised.

An LDA official said the funds generated from the ongoing campaign in the four districts of Lahore division would be utilised on the development of these districts. He said documentation and taxation always boost business and the traders should realise their national duty towards paying taxes now.

LDA development director Ali Nusrat told Dawn that some officials of municipal committees were misleading the people and minting money on various pretexts. He said the LDA had, therefore, displayed banners at important spots in the city to guide people.

Mr Nusrat, while answering a question regarding financial conditions of the traders during the lockdown, said the traders could pay their commercialisation fee in installments of three years. He further said the LDA was completely unaware of the areas and properties to be commercialised and was fully dependent on the lists provided by the deputy commissioners of the relevant districts.

He said the parliamentarians of the districts concerned were also taken on board before launching an operation against defaulters.

It is learnt that PTI parliamentarians the LDA took on board were from Pattoki tehsil as the winning candidates from Kasur were from the PML-N.

The LDA had also held a couple of meetings with the chief executive officers of municipal committees and additional deputy commissioners revenue to make the operation a success.

SEALED: ThePattoki tehsil administration on Friday sealed 11 warehouses of alleged hoarders and seized sugar, ghee, rice and pulses in bulk.

According to Chunian AC Shahron Niazi, following information about the hoarders, the administration raided several hoarding points in the tehsil and sealed 11 warehouses. The administration also had cases registered against the owners of the warehouses.

SUICIDE: A youngster allegedly killed himself over a trifle at Shamkot village on Friday.

Shafiq, 24, had an argument with his family over some domestic issue and, later, shot himself.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2020