LAHORE: The ongoing digitisation of record related to Johar Town has helped the government identify/trace its valuable immovable properties (3,200 plots or so) worth nearly Rs60 billion.

Of 3,200, the possession of 105 plots have been retrieved either from the land grabbers or through reaching the sites and marking the property as owned by the government (Lahore Development Authority), Dawn has learnt.

“In fact, all this happened after we started work on digitisation and sifting of the record related to Johar Town - LDA’s so far biggest housing scheme spanning over 26,000 kanals,” LDA Additional Director General (housing) Mr Awais Mushtaq told Dawn on Saturday.

Discussing the issue, he said the LDA traced its properties through GIS mapping, zooming the scheme plan and found several pieces of land that were either empty or having buildings, structures, boundary wall etc. After identifying these pockets, according to him, the LDA launched a survey through which it reached a consensus that the entire pieces of land/plots were the state-owned ones.

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Following the survey, the team working on the digitisation of record divided plots into three categories. The plots falling in category (green) means that these are the state property as there is no issue in this regard. The plots in category (orange) means that ownership of these properties is almost clear (80 per cent or so) in favour of LDA. Similarly the category-3 (red) also proves ownership of LDA to 70pc.

The 105 plots the LDA, so far, has taken over in its possession include 57, 212, 50, 496, 452, 89, 509-A, 774, 775, 98, 126, 222-A, 286-B, 53-B, 83, 26-A, 97, 34, 15, 38, 42, 106, 164-A, 484, 485, 149, 162, 225, 243, 102, 103, 104, 258, 204, 52, 53, 216,291-B, 144, 197-A, 198-B, 175, 239-A, 239-B, 52 to 56, 252, 340, 510, 611, 110, 718, 261, 262, 377, 919, 638, 21-B, 21-F, 22-A, 207, 495, 56, 362-A, 31, 41, 59, 60 to 63, 110, 277, 10-A, 84, 01, 125, 126, 1141, 1142, 99, 990, 97, 117, 275, 196, 229, 230, 385, 386, 305, 585, 586, 587, 230912, 913, 916, 127, 128, 202, 97 and 260.

All these plots are situated in Johar town’s blocks B2, C, C1, D1, E, F-1, F-2, FTC (Finance & Trade Centre), G, G-3, G-4, H-1, H-2, H-3, J-1, K, H-3, K, Q, R, R-1, R-2, A, D-2, Q, G-1 and R-3.

“The LDA will soon start auctioning of all cleared plots in a bid to increase its revenue and improve its financial condition,” he added.

LDA Director General Mr Tahir Farooq said the sifting of record related to other housing schemes has also enabled the authority to trace some plots.

“In Garden Town, we have come to know about nine commercial plots worth millions of rupees. For this we have contacted the district administration in a bid to prove our ownership. Hope the Model Town AC will soon submit his report in this regard,” Mr Farooq said.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2024