RDA Asks Departments to Curb Spread of Illegal Housing Schemes

RAWALPINDI: On the special directives of the Director General (DG) Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), Muhammad Saif Anwar Jappa, Director Metropolitan Planning and Traffic Engineering (MP&TE) has requested the concerned departments to assist in controlling the illegal growth of private housing schemes in the Rawalpindi district.

According to an RDA spokesman, the authority had requested cooperation from the following departments:

• Parks and Horticulture Authority Rawalpindi
• Chaklala Cantonment Board (CCB)
• Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB)
• District Council Rawalpindi (DCR),
• Rawalpindi Tehsil Councils (RTC)
• Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA)
• Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)

The DG has urged these departments to control the mushrooming growth of illegal private housing schemes and land sub-divisions in the district.

He also stated that the RDA had requested that the PEMRA prohibit private television channels from airing advertisements for illegal housing societies.

RDA had also asked the FIA to take action against individuals and businesses who were posting TVCs and advertisements on social media to sell plots in illegal and unapproved housing schemes, he added.

“RDA is a controlling agency to grant permission and No Objection Certificate to private housing schemes in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Punjab Development Authority Land-Use (Classification, Reclassification, and Redevelopment) Rules 2021,” the DG explained.

According to an RDA spokesperson, the civic body had taken concrete steps to protect citizens from fraudsters in response to the increasing complaints against the owners of illegal private housing societies, looting in the form of advertisements on TV channels and social media.

He also added that the RDA had also warned the sponsors of the illegal housing societies to stop marketing their unapproved projects and to obtain NOC from the authorities as required by law.

Jappa has directed the MP&TE Directorate to take indiscriminate action against illegal housing schemes, illegal constructions, commercial activities, booking offices, and encroachments.