Punjab seeks data on unused state properties

LAHORE: The Punjab government has asked 12 public-sector institutions to submit details of vacant, unused and underutilised residential and commercial properties owned by the state as it looks to support a revenue target of Rs500 billion for the next fiscal year.

According to a letter issued by the Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering Department, the information has been sought from nine development authorities as well as three other agencies. The departments contacted include the director generals of the Rawalpindi, Lahore, Sargodha, Multan, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Gujranwala, Dera Ghazi Khan and Koh-e-Suleman development authorities. The chief executive officer of the Ravi Urban Development Authority, the director general of the Punjab Housing and Planning Agency, and the chief executive officer of the Punjab Central Business District Development Authority have also been directed to provide the required details.

The letter says these properties may be used to help meet the upcoming fiscal year’s Rs500 billion target. In addition to information on unoccupied or underused assets, the government has also sought records of state-owned properties that have already been sold, leased, auctioned, licensed or otherwise put to use.

The institutions have been instructed to compile complete records of all residential and commercial properties that fall into the categories of vacant, unused or underutilised. They have also been asked to identify roads, corridors and other areas that could be opened up for commercialisation, along with recommendations on their potential use.

Under the directions issued in the letter, the agencies are further required to assess land and property values, examine commercialisation prospects, identify opportunities for generating revenue, and submit detailed action plans. These plans are to include implementation timelines aimed at helping each institution achieve its assigned revenue targets.