LAHORE: The Punjab government on Tuesday decided to close down the Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC) and merge it into the Punjab Housing and Town Planning Agency (PHATA).

The government took the decision at a meeting presided over by senior minister Mian Aslam Iqbal.

Housing Department Secretary Mian Shakil briefed the participants on the PLDC affairs and it was unanimously decided to shut it and merge it into PHATA.

The minister sought provision of a plan regarding construction of houses on the land reserved for the PLDC projects. “We will protect the interests of those who have deposited money for acquiring houses under the PLDC projects,” he said. He said an out-of-box solution should be presented within a week in this regard.

“We should be very clear that the the provision of shelter to the shelter-less stratum is a priority of the provincial government,” he added. He said closure of the PLDC would not affect anyone’s job as all employees would be adjusted in PHATA and other departments.

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2022