LAHORE: Governing body of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) endorsed on Monday a decision taken in 2006 [by LDA] to grant permission for construction of a 400-foot (40 storey) building of a hotel on The Mall.

Since it would be the second high-rise after a 45-storey building in Johar Town’s Finance and Trade Centre (FTC) approved on April 29 this year, its building plan approval would be granted by a high-level committee headed by the chief minister at a later stage keeping in view the existence of the site as abutting on Upper Mall which is a controlled area under building regulations.

According to the working paper, the request was moved by the privatisation commission in the past to the government to grant relaxation for construction of a hotel (Services International Hotel) since it was entrusted with the task to sell the piece of land on a better price.

“On the request of the director general (privatisation commission), the case was processed and placed in the LDA governing body meeting on April 29, 2006. The authority approved relaxation of height up to 400 ft. It was also observed that since the site abuts Upper Mall, which is a controlled area under building regulations, the scrutiny/approval of building plan is to be finalised by the special committee headed by the chief secretary. Therefore clearance from the chief secretary was solicited and the same was also granted to the concerned office in LDA,” reads the paper.

Decision to construct 40-storey hotel taken in 2006

“It is also added that relaxation is subject to provision of valid ownership, NOC from Civil Aviation Authority, commercialisation of property from LDA and fulfillment of other codal formalities as per prevailing building bylaws. As sufficient period has been lapsed, therefore the then approval of the case needs to be endorsed,” it says.

Keeping in view the situation, the authority endorsed the government’s 2006 decision. According to an official, who also attended the LDA’s governing body meeting on Monday, the endorsement of the decision taken in 2006 by the then government, would also promote vertical growth the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government eagerly wants in Lahore.

The body in its meeting presided over by LDA’s Vice Chairman S.M Imran also accorded approval to redo demarcation of all plots in LDA Avenue-1 housing scheme. It also allowed a committee to start dialogues with the owners of two already existing private housing societies for surrendering their land to LDA for merging it into the Avenue-1 against getting 30 per cent developed plots of the total land area. It also endorsed the standard operating procedure (SOP) made by the LDA DG for improving working of the legal affairs directorates.

LWMC: The Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) issued on Monday its plan regarding cleanliness, sanitation and solid waste management for Eidul Azha. According to the plan, cleanliness activities will mainly focus on prompt collection, storage, transportation and disposal of animal waste during three Eid days.

“In order to manage animal waste, the company would distribute about 1.8 million biodegradable bags in Lahore,” Lahore Commissioner Asif Bilal Lodhi said while speaking at a press conference along with company’s BoD chairman, MD and others. He said the waste bags would be made available free of cost in respective 296 UC camps, zonal offices, major mosques and Eidgahs. Similarly, for prompt collection of animal waste, LWMC would hire pick-ups two days before Eid for garbage bags distribution. As many as 3,400 pick-ups will be hired for the entire Eid operation. These pick-ups will be deployed in all UCs of Lahore for collection of waste.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2019