In an unprecedented move to recover commercialization fees and penalties, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has initiated an operation to demolish business premises and buildings that have failed to deposit the required fees or fines with the government treasury.
“Previously, such actions were unheard of, as LDA officers would typically seal defaulting commercial properties. However, these properties were often reopened due to external influence or bribery,” a senior LDA official revealed to Dawn.
“Ultimately, we had no choice but to resort to partial demolitions to compel owners to settle their dues. This initiative is a crucial step in recovering government revenues,” the official added, requesting anonymity.
On the orders of LDA Director General Tahir Farooq, a demolition operation was launched in Johar Town by the town planning director (Zone-4) against properties on Khayaban-e-Firdousi that had not paid commercialization fees. These properties had been previously sealed multiple times but remained non-compliant despite repeated notices. The operation is expected to extend to other areas, including Garden Town, Muslim Town, Iqbal Town, Mustafa Town, Wahdat Road, Gulberg, Township, Green Town, Model Town (Extension), and Faisal Town.
Lahore Development Programme (LDP) Progress
As part of the ongoing Lahore Development Programme (LDP), Assistant Commissioners (ACs) continue to oversee projects in their respective areas, ensuring compliance with prescribed standards and timelines.
AC Nishtar, and Muhammad Saleem Aasi, recently inspected union councils 241, 247, and 248 to monitor the progress of development work and data updates.
Meanwhile, AC Allama Iqbal Town, Khawaja Muhammad Umer Mahmood, held a meeting to review the progress of Metropolitan Corporation Lahore (MCL) and Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) projects. During the session, it was discovered that a contractor had used substandard red tiles, prompting the AC to order their immediate replacement with high-quality tiles.
In another inspection, Ravi AC Tariq Shabbir visited Kashmiri Ghatti, where PCC work is set to commence next week. In UC 153, Shalimar AC Dr. Anum Fatima supervised ongoing road construction and resolved a bottleneck where work had stalled due to pending Wasa clearance.
“The DC Lahore has instructed all relevant departments to ensure the timely and high-quality completion of LDP projects,” a DC spokesperson confirmed.
