LAHORE: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has failed to launch and complete several major and minor development projects, leaving people with no option but to pass through the battered roads besides facing other issues.

At the same time, massive delay in launching electrification works at the LDA City Housing Project’s phase-1 may delay handing over possession of plots to the affected people for about two years, Dawn has learnt.

“I think the LDA (engineering wing) at present seems least interested in launching and completing the small development schemes for the reasons best known to the officers concerned. Look at these roads connecting Guru Managat Road, which are yet to be reconstructed since long,” deplored Shakeel, who works at an office at Gulberg-II (Industrial area).

“Since, almost daily, accidents are taking place on this road due to its dilapidated condition, the LDA seems least bothered about the pain the people have been feeling,” he said and added: “It has exposed the government’s apathy towards solving the civic issue as no one is even bothered to survey the area and launch reconstruction of the roads.”

Shahid, another resident, said the people had been facing a great deal of difficulty while using these roads that become impassable in monsoon. “We are planning to launch a protest demonstration soon against inefficiency and incompetence on the part of senior LDA officials in this regard,” he said.

“The rundown roads damage vehicles and cause accidents on a daily basis,” he added.

In Johar Town, the battered roads in various blocks clearly reflect grave negligence of the LDA officers concerned.

“You may visit various blocks, especially the R and Q and witness pathetic condition of the roads, including roads / streets linking the main road (from Shadaiwal Chowk to Mir Daad Chowk), roads passing in front of a famous international school and inside streets etc),” Arsalan, a resident of the area, told Dawn. Besides the aforementioned ones, the residents in various other residential areas falling under territorial jurisdiction of the LDA’s controlled area have been facing similar issues.

On the other hand, the LDA has also failed to take up projects including the electrification works at the mega LDA City Housing Project. All its adjoining posh housing schemes, including DHA-Rahber, Lake City, Fazaia have been developed providing modern living to the people. But, the development works especially the electrification works are still pending. Moreover, the gas related infrastructure too is yet to be completed.

Owing to non-completion of development works, the possession of plots to the allottees is likely to be delayed for another two years,” an official source told this reporter. He said the LDA city was the project on which the Supreme Court of Pakistan took a suo motu notice around three years ago and reportedly ordered the LDA to complete development works within three years and hand over possession of plots to the allottees of the project phase-I which consists of the land measuring 13,000 Kanal.

The other incomplete projects include Rs8 billion sports complexes in all the National Assembly constituencies of Lahore that were launched by the PML-N government, but the work on this halted during the interim government and ongoing period of PTI-led Punjab government. However, the government following severe public criticism released Rs1.5 billion for completion of the sports complexes. “But till this date, all these complexes are incomplete, exposing negligence on the part of the quarters concerned,” the official claimed.

LDA Chief Engineer Abdul Razaq Chauhan claimed to have completed various development schemes related to patchworks of various roads and streets in the city. “The patchworks are considered to be our routine works that are being done regularly. I have also made a special subdivision to survey the areas and identify the issues the people have been facing,” he said.

He said the delay in underground electrification works at LDA City Housing Project (phase-I) is due to a lack of approval of design by the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco).

Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2021