Punjab Considers Regularizing Illegal Housing Schemes
Key Takeaways
- The Punjab government is considering a proposal to legalize thousands of unauthorized housing schemes and land subdivisions.
- The plan is under review by the Board of Revenue (BoR) with input from the LDA.
- The objective is to bring unapproved schemes under regulatory compliance and ensure civic services for residents.
- The proposal includes imposing heavy fines on developers and making previously non-compoundable violations subject to penalties.
- Currently, over 5,118 housing schemes in Punjab are either illegal or awaiting approval out of a total of 7,905 schemes.
The Punjab government is actively considering a significant proposal aimed at bringing thousands of unauthorized housing schemes and land subdivisions into the official regulatory framework. This plan is currently being reviewed by the Board of Revenue (BoR), with input gathered from the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) and other relevant provincial departments. The primary goal of this initiative is to curb unplanned urban sprawl and ensure that residents living in these areas gain access to necessary civic amenities, such as roads, parks, and greenbelts. Key components of the proposal involve imposing substantial fines on non-compliant developers, and crucially, making violations that were previously considered non-compoundable now subject to penalties. Developers will be mandated to take corrective measures to align their projects with existing planning regulations. Officials hope that by regulating existing violations, the policy will also serve as a strong deterrent against the future development of unapproved projects in Punjab.
