LAHORE: The Punjab government says that the Lahore Division’s master plan-2050 will cover issues related to industrialisation, commercialisation, urbanisation, agriculture, residential land use and its conversion, environment, etc.

“Lahore’s master plan is at a final stage, and will identify the needs and address the commercial and industrial issues and other civic problems,” Provincial Minister for Housing, Urban Development, Industry and Commerce Mian Aslam Iqbal said at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) on Monday.

The minister said the land in Muzaffargarh has been identified for the establishment of the industrial zone. He also pledged for creating a business-friendly environment in Punjab be the top priority of the government.

“All possible measures are being taken in this regard. The government and private sector must be on one page to keep the wheel of trade and industry moving,” he added. It may be mentioned that the Lahore Development Authority had earlier in May, this year launched the second round of consultation for the master Plan through public notices and hearings in a bid to get more viable and logical input from the public at large.

In the first round, the LDA, in association with various stakeholders, organised four public hearings in Lahore - one each in Kasur, Sheikhupura and Nankana Sahib - besides inviting suggestions from the public through public notices on the master plan. In the first round, the authority received over 20 suggestions from the people. The minister, on demand of the LCCI, said the chamber would be given representation in the trade and industry-related departments. He claimed that 1,450 new factories have been set up in small industrial estates in the last three and a half years.

The initial draft master plan-2050 projected addition of 12.6 million in the existing population of the provincial metropolitan in the next 28 years for which housing and accommodation of around nine million people within the administrative boundaries of Lahore city district and the remaining 3.6m outside it has been recommended.

The planning policies adopted for the preparation of the master plan propose to accommodate approximately nine million people (of the total 12.6 million projected population) within the administrative boundaries of the Lahore district while allowing very limited horizontal expansion adjacent to existing urban areas.

Since any further adjustment of the population will affect the green area of Lahore district, the remaining 3.6 million people, as per the plan, will be accommodated outside the administrative boundary of Lahore district on the northern side,” reads the plan.

It states that since the future development in Lahore and the districts of Kasur, Nankana Sahib and Sheikhupura will be in accordance with the policies of the government at the national and provincial level, the LDA, in principle, has approved the proposed planning policies/scenarios subject to the condition that all further actions will be taken as per law, rules and policy in vogue and in consultation with all stakeholders.

Talking to Dawn, a senior LDA official said the final draft of the Lahore division master plan-2050 would be ready very soon.

“We will submit it to the LDA management next month. After this, the management would send it to an internal review committee. After being reviewed and go ahead from this committee, the plan would be sent to the provincial scrutiny committee headed by secretary housing,” he explained, adding that after being cleared by the scrutiny committee, the plan would be sent to the LDA’s governing body for final approval, after which it would be notified and enforced.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2022