LAHORE: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has jacked up the fines for violating building and land-use restrictions while also increasing costs for property transfers and approval of maps.
LDA’s governing body, approving the proposal in this regard, stated, “We have begun applying the new rates of various fees and penalties after receiving approval and notification from the relevant authorities.”
According to the details, the residential and commercial property transfer charge (including gift transfers in all LDA-governed housing schemes and areas) has been set at one percent of the property’s DC (district collector rates) value under the revised rates.
Previously, these charges were Rs. 7,000 per marla (home) + Rs. 5 per sq. ft on the constructed structure and Rs. 14,000 (commercial) was being charged.
Similarly, in the new LDA City Housing project, the transfer cost, which was earlier Rs. 7,000 per marla + Rs5 per sq. ft on the constructed property, has been set at Rs. 10,000 per marla.
The legal heir’s transfer cost, which was previously accessible in all schemes, has been set at 25% of the appropriate transfer fees.
The placement of the document fee (previously Rs. 500 per marla) has been reduced to 0.25pc of the DC value of the property.
Similarly, the copying fee (previously Rs. 200 per page) has been increased to Rs. 1,000 per page.
While the permission to mortgage fee (previously Rs. 500 per marla + Rs. 5 per sq. ft on constructed area) has been reduced to 0.25pc of the DC value of the property.
Besides, the No objection certificate (NOC) fee, which was previously Rs. 500 per marla, would now be 0.25pc of the DC value of the property per annum
The publication of the general power of attorney fee, which was previously Rs. 1,000 per marla, would now be Rs. 2,000 per marla.
Additionally, the possession and file checking fee, which was previously free, would now be Rs. 0.25pc of the DC value of the property and Rs. 10,000, respectively.
The rates for building plan approval, which were previously Rs. 5 per sq. ft and Rs. 15 per sq. ft (residential and commercial), have now been raised to Rs. 15 and Rs. 40 per sq. ft, respectively.
Similarly, additional fees and fines, such as plan copying, site visits, plot sub-division, amalgamation, debris charges, excess height charges, completion certificate penalties, and late fees, have also been notified to increase by 100 to 400 percent or more.
It is to note here that the LDA in its proposal, said that the rates of fees, fines, and penalties had not been revised for the previous eight years, whereas other government departments such as excise and taxation, and the city district government, were collecting charges based on the present value of the properties, which was increased on an annual basis.
The proposal added that the revised rates would assist the authority in raising revenue to cover 50% of the cost of building the infrastructure for the LDA City Housing Schemes, with any excess proceeds going toward building the city’s infrastructure.
On the other hand, the government has come under criticism from the general public for allowing the LDA to raise fees without conducting a survey.
