LAHORE, Jan 18 Before buying land in a private housing scheme in the Punjab capital, people should first get its credentials verified from the LDA.

Under the Punjab Private Housing Schemes Regulation 2005, the LDA has been made responsible to verify and approve private housing schemes all over the Lahore district, barring cantonment areas, an official said on Monday.

With the assistance of the Punjab government, the LDA has decided to take strict action against elements that are depriving simpleton of their life-savings by selling plots in bogus housing societies.

Legal proceedings had been launched against a number of such schemes after advertising their names. Complaints in this regard could be launched with the metropolitan planning wing of the LDA at its Johar Town office, said the official.

More than 200 housing schemes had been approved by the LDA, including one each along Raiwind and Ferozepur roads recently.

During the last five years, the number of illegal housing societies in Lahore had increased to 350 or so. The metropolitan planning wing of LDA had already notified a list of 116 private housing schemes launched without getting approval from the authority as well as fulfilling other requirements.

“Audit of all the approved housing schemes is also on the cards after finding that plots allocated for public utilities like educational institutions, hospitals, parks and graveyards have been sold out,” the official said.

The LDA would also launch a website to keep the people informed about genuine and bogus housing schemes.