LAHORE: A spokesman for the Punjab government has said the Lahore Development Authority had assigned a parcel of land measuring 57 kanals for the LGH-II project, aimed at establishing an emergency facility in the Kot Lakhpat fruit market’s vicinity.

He says neither the Punjab’s interim government nor the caretaker CM has anything to do with the withdrawal of the specified land from the health department.

He says the LDA’s approach is firmly rooted in principles of transparency, fairness and judicious land management.

On the other hand, an official report of the office of the director general monitoring and evaluation of the Punjab government mentions 122 kanals allocated for the construction of the new LGH-II.

It states the scope of the project is to construct a new hospital building attached to the LGH.

According to the official report, as per the directions of the then chief minister (Buzdar), the LDA had awarded the land to the health department, which was withdrawn, and reduced the land with the change of the government.

“As the land allocation was reduced from 122 to 57 kanals, the scope and cost of the project were revised,” reads the official report.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2023