The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has initiated an internal investigation into its land records to combat instances of double compensation/exemption fraud. LDA sources have reported several pending complaints related to such fraud, prompting the new investigation to focus specifically on plots exchanged in Johar Town.

Following a recent incident in which an LDA director and several officers were caught by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) for allotting 27 plots based on a bogus file, the ACE wrote to the Chief Town Planner (CTP) requesting a record of plots exchanged between 2018 and 2023.

In response to the ACE’s request, a committee has been formed by the Director General of the LDA to scrutinize files that were being processed but were not part of the 2017 Inventory List. The committee’s convener is LDA’s Director IT, Basit Qamar, and its members include Shahid Naeem, Director Housing-VIl, Humaira Sharif, Director Record Management, Uzair Bin Tariq, Deputy Director Land Acquisition, Jehangir Iqbal Mayo, Deputy Director Housing-V1, and Zahid Siddique, Assistant Director Accounts.

The committee will scrutinize, analyze, and investigate all files in accordance with current standard operating procedures. It will verify the status of previous plots and exchange proceedings, as well as the on-site possession status of both plots in cases where the exchange was involved. The committee will also review the list of missing files published in 2009 for the MA Johar Town Scheme in Lahore, analyze the initiation procedure of applications from One Window Cell, LDA, and cross-verify previous correspondences and transactions.

In cases where exemption files are concerned, the committee will prepare a detailed chant of relevant Khasras and examine the record of the chant to determine how many landowners have already received compensation/exemption, thus preventing the possibility of excess or double exemption.

The committee will thoroughly scrutinize the files and make clear recommendations regarding the inclusion of files in the Inventory List based on their authenticity and validity.

Source: Pro Pakistani