Ombudsman’s efforts propel LDA to resolve 30-year housing layout stagnation

LAHORE: In a breakthrough facilitated by Punjab Ombudsman retired Maj. Azam Suleman Khan, the approval process of assorted layout designs for 31 cooperative housing societies, lying pending for nearly three decades, has finally been set in motion by the Lahore Development Authority (LDA).

This development has provided a sense of relief to the members of these cooperative housing societies.

A spokesperson for Khan shed light on the matter in a statement issued on Sunday that during the hearing of a complaint filed by Muhammad Nasir Khan, it was disclosed that negligence has been shown by the provincial cooperatives department in approval of the layout designs of various cooperative housing societies.

As a result, members of these societies were facing difficulties in obtaining approvals for their house plans from the LDA.

Responding swiftly to the situation, Ombudsman Khan subpoenaed the director general of the authority and the registrar of Cooperative Societies to his office to resolve the issue. He directed them to expedite the approval process for the layout plans of the concerned cooperative housing societies in compliance with their rules and regulations.

This initiative aims to facilitate timely approval of house/ residence maps for the society members from the LDA, the spokesman maintained.

Furthermore, the spokesman elaborated that the LDA director general has established a dedicated committee to address these issues. The committee comprises the additional director general for housing, chief metropolitan planning, chief town planning, and joint registrar of the Cooperatives Department.

Their mandate includes conducting fortnightly reviews of layout plans for societies, awaiting approvals, and providing necessary assistance in overcoming any obstacles that may arise during the approval process, the spokesman said.

Thanks to the intervention of the Ombudsman, the concerns faced by the members of these cooperative housing societies have been successfully resolved, said the spokesman.