FAISALABAD, Jan 11: Mushroom growth of illegal plazas and shopping centers has forced the Punjab government to set up independent committees headed by DCOs at district level to approve construction plans and check unlawful practices, sources said on Thursday.

The sources said earlier a high-level design committee worked under the chief secretary and district governments forwarded to it cases of plazas having construction plan for building more than four-storeys or 40 feet. They said the approval procedure under the provincial committee used to take time and plaza owners by allegedly greasing the palms of local officers concerned started construction work, violating all building bylaws. In case the government sought any report on violation of rules, officers concerned submitted all ‘okay’ reports, they said.

They said a number of plazas had been constructed even in the residential areas by violating all prescribed rules and commercial activities were also not checked.

The sources said the nine-member committee would augment enforcement mechanism of building and zoning regulations. The committee would act as a ratification body and clearinghouse for all building plans for commercial roads or located within notified zones.

It would also notify roads and zones within the respective district, which it would consider appropriate to regulate.

Respective tehsil or town nazim within whose jurisdiction property falls, district police officer, DG of the development authority concerned, DO housing and physical planning department, district incharge traffic, DO roads, executive engineer of the provincial highways and EDO municipal services would be members of the committee.

A Wasa officer said that plazas and shopping centers were growing up in various parts of the city without any planning and approval. This mushroom growth and multiplication of sewage in various parts of the city has caused great problems, he said.

He said agencies responsible for approval of construction plans had never obtained NOCs from Wasa, which was supposed to check the capacity of the existing system to bear additional load before issuing a certificate. He said illegal practices and improper disposal arrangements had also created unhygienic conditions and caused environmental degradation in the city.

The Wasa officer said they had time and again asked the departments concerned to take immediate measures to control the practice for the welfare of the masses but to no avail.

A district government officer said that after the formation of this committee, its office-bearers would be held responsible in case of any violation of the building bylaws.