As part of a crackdown on illegal housing schemes, the district authority has closed the offices of six housing schemes. Following directions from Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) Chairman Tariq Mehmood Murtaza, a team comprising RDA Metropolitan Planning and Traffic Engineering (MPTE) Director Shahzad Haider, Taxila Assistant Commissioner Shahzad Mahboob along with the relevant police officials from the area took action against illegal housing schemes in Wah and Taxila. Offices for whose schemes were closed include Wah Residencia, Margalla Hills Enclave, Faisal Town and Mah Garden, Subhan Millet, and Aroha Housing Schemes in Taxila.
The offices of these housing societies were found to have violated the Punjab Private Housing Schemes and Land Subdivision Rules 2010. Haider said that under the housing scheme rules, notices were issued to the owners of these illegal schemes. RDA chairman advised the public not to invest in any illegal or unauthorised housing scheme as declared by the RDA otherwise they will be responsible for their losses. The legality of a scheme can be checked on RDA’s website, he added. He also requested utility provider including the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO), Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd (SNGPL) and Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) not to extend their services to these illegal housing schemes.
Plaza sealed
The Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC), in its drive against violators of building by-laws, sealed a plaza in the Asghar Mall area. RMC Chief Officer Ali Abbas Bukhari told the media that the plaza had been sealed on the directives of Rawalpindi Commissioner Capt (Retd) Muhammad Mehmood while a fine of Rs11.6 million has been imposed on plaza’s owner for violating building by-laws. The CO said the owner has so far submitted Rs3.5 million of the fine and that the plaza will be de-sealed once he pays the remaining Rs8.1 million.
Amnesty scheme
An amnesty scheme for illegal domestic structures, launched by Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) for two months, has been extended until December 31. An RCB spokesperson said that the board had launched the amnesty scheme for illegal residential buildings on plots up to 10 marlas and constructed before 2015 under which owners were asked to regularise their illegal structures without paying fines. For this purpose, three field offices were set up. The first was in Allahabad to cater to residents of Ward one and 10, Valley Road for wards two, three, four, eight and nine and Baraf Khana on Masrial Road for wards five, six and seven.
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