LAHORE, Dec 11: The Lahore Development Authority on Monday launched an operation against illegally established housing societies and those unlawfully extending their areas and/or committing other violations of their scheme plans approved by the authorities concerned.

Starting from Multan Road, the LDA’s metropolitan and town planning wings stopped development works being carried out on an area illegally extended by River Edge Housing Scheme management.

The LDA has already lodged an FIR against the management of this scheme for violating the laws sometime ago at Chuhng police station, but no action was taken against it.

“The LDA took action against the scheme in order to safeguard the hard earned savings of intending buyers of plots there,” says an LDA spokesman.

The scheme had been approved by the LDA in 2006 over 765.75 kanals comprising four blocks -- Topaz, Sapphire, Jasmine and Jade, he added.

He said the officials came to know that the scheme’s administration had extended its area illegally and launched new blocks namely Rose, Tulip and Gold, besides illegally extending the Topaz block.

He said the ‘revised’ plan of the scheme, including the illegal extension, submitted by its management had already been rejected by LDA as majority of the Khasra numbers fell in the notified green area.

The spokesman requested the public not to purchase any plot in the illegal extension of the scheme or from its mortgaged land.

IMPOUNDED: District Road Transportation Authority (DRTA) on Tuesday challaned 86 intercity buses and vans and cancelled route permits of eight of them declaring them unfit for plying on roads.

The officials also impounded 30 vehicles for overcharging, overloading and having substandard CNG cylinders. FIRs were also lodged against some transporters in this regard.

PRICE: CDGL’s price control magistrates on Tuesday conducted as many as 575 raids in different areas of city and challaned 105 shopkeepers.

They also imposed a Rs83,000 fine on violators and got lodged three FIRs against hoarders.

DEFAULTERS: Commercialisation wing on Tuesday sealed 20 more properties, situated along Main Road, Samanabad, after their owners failed to pay commercialisation fee to the LDA despite repeated notices served on them.

ENCROACHMENTS: The Iqbal Town administration on Tuesday removed encroachments from various localities of the city, including Township market and Yatim Khana Chowk.

The officials also impounded four trucks being unloaded on roads, causing inconvenience to the people.