Government of Punjab increasingly working towards legitimizing unauthorized housing societies
Lahore, Pakistan - In an effort to address the proliferation of illegal housing societies across the province, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif presided over a special meeting to discuss potential solutions. The meeting focused on the regularization of existing illegal housing schemes, as well as digitizing and streamlining the housing sector.
The CM emphasized the urgent need to legalize established housing schemes, arguing that it was essential to provide relief to the people who had invested in them. She pointed out the complicity of government departments in the creation of these illegal societies and noted that only the innocent purchasers were being penalized.
To facilitate the regularization process, Maryam Nawaz Sharif proposed the formation of a high-level committee to develop an efficient and legal framework for the task. She also suggested a one-time amnesty for illegal housing societies that comply with developmental standards.
In terms of digitization and streamlining, the government intends to introduce a digital housing management system. This system would allow for online approval, management, and transfer of housing societies, as well as the payment of NOC fees through the online uploading of documents. To reduce bureaucratic hurdles, the government is also directed to abolish unnecessary NOCs.
The Chief Minister was informed that there are approximately 7905 housing societies in Punjab, covering an area of about 2 million kanals. Of these, 2687 are approved, while 5118 are illegal or under process across the province. The LDA schemes' status was also discussed, with 427 approved and 206 illegal schemes currently under review.
By implementing these measures, the Punjab government aims to tackle the issue of illegal housing societies while improving the overall regulatory framework in the housing sector. This could provide much-needed relief to investors and contribute to better, more transparent urban development in the province.
Options for addressing the issue of illegal housing societies in Punjab include the formation of a high-level committee to develop a legal framework for the regularization process, as well as a one-time amnesty for illegal societies that comply with developmental standards. In the realm of finance and real-estate, Maryam Nawaz Sharif also proposed the introduction of a digital housing management system, which would facilitate online approval, management, and transfer of housing societies, as well as the payment of NOC fees through online document uploading. This move is aimed at streamlining the housing sector and reducing bureaucratic hurdles.
