DHA Lahore Bahria Town Map Plots Houses Buy Sell Rent Property Prices

* Dealers curse luck after reports of a 50 percent increase in fees by LDA

Staff Report

LAHORE: Panic gripped the real estate markets of the city following rumours of a 50 percent increase in plots’ transfer fees by the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) from October 1. Citizens and property dealers condemned any such move saying that such a step would cause a further slump in the already declining real estate business.

However, to verify this information, when Daily Times contacted LDA spokesman Sohail Janjoa, he said that only urgent transfer fee to get a plot transferred within a week instead of a month, in case of complete documentations, was being fixed at 50 percent higher compared to ordinary fees from October. “Someone has spread misinformation on the basis of his misconception in the real estate market,” he said.

When asked about the amount of transfer fee, he said different fees were being charged in different housing societies or residential or commercial areas on the basis of the value of property. For instance in LDA Avenue, he said 10-marla plot’s first transfer fee was Rs 20,000; second transfer fee Rs 25,000 while one-kanal plot’s first transfer fee was Rs 40,000 and second Rs 50,000. When asked why these fees were high, he said the government encouraged only real buyers to purchase property for residential purposes.

Defense Housing Authority (DHA) Estate Agents Association President Mian Talat said that DHA did not come under the jurisdiction of the LDA, as it was looked after by the authority itself and no transfer fees were increased in DHA limits.

Estate House CEO Farooq Jamal said that generally the idea of any increase in the transfer would be highly condemnable because following five years of severe slump, the real estate business of the city was recovering up to 10 percent, however the flood factor had once again messed it all up.

TO block the incidents of forgery in sale and purchase of properties, Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has finalised all arrangements for issuance of security featured land/property transfer documents from next week in its housing schemes.
Officials said incidents of forgery, instances of sale of plots on fake transfer letters as well as claims of ownership by more than one claimant for the same property had necessitated the introduction of first ever foolproof documentation system in the history of LDA in order to safeguard precious properties of citizens from land mafia.
They said documents like transfer letters, exemption letters, allotment letters, completion certificates etc should henceforth be issued on security featured papers.
They added that these papers contained security features like barcode, MCS fibre paper, manufacturing watermark with hologram and 3D images. This security paper carries a life of more than 100 years.
This paper is neither available in market nor can it be counterfeited. In Pakistan, only government printing press has the right to make and use such paper and it is almost impossible for land mafia to reproduce such documents.
In LDA schemes, there are as many as 13 different documents which are required by owners as evidence of their ownership of plots.
In future all such documents shall be prepared and issued on this security paper, which includes their office copies as well, to ensure elimination of counterfeiting at all levels. These papers carry such dedicated and secure features which make them impregnable for any counterfeiting.
Anti-encroachment drive soon: In order to clear encroachments from main roads, Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has planned to start a massive drive against encroachers in the next few days.
Officials said LDA has established a control room to launch the drive in a proper manner. All its wings including Engineering, Enforcement, Town Planning and Estate Management will receive instructions from the control room besides reporting their daily performance.
All the necessary machinery has also been provided to the staff for carrying out the operation smoothly, officials added.
The main roads, which will be cleared in the coming operation included Wahdat Road (Muslim Town Morr to Multan Chungi), Main Boulevard Allama Iqbal Town (Morr Bekhewal to Scheme Morr), Main Boulevard Samanabad (Morr Samanabad to New Mozang), Mian Boulevard Gulshane Ravi (Morr Samanabad to Bund Road), Maulana Shaukat Ali Road (Jinnah Hospital to PECO Road), Model Town Link Road, PECO Road (Kot Lakhpat to Ferozepur Road Bridge), main Boulevard Johar Town (Shouq Chowk to Shaukat Khanum) and Abul Hassan Isfhani Road (Kalma Chowk to Jinnah Hospital).
Officials said survey regarding encroachments and other illegalities on these roads has already been completed.

LAHORE: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has finalised all arrangements for the issuance of security featured transfer documents from next week to purchasers of plots and houses situated in its housing schemes.

According to a press note issued by the LDA, incidents of forgery, instances of sale of plots on fake transfer letters as well as claims of ownership by more than one claimant for the same property have necessitated the introduction of the first-ever foolproof documentation system in the history of the LDA in order to safeguard precious properties of citizens from land mafia. Documents like transfer letters, exemption letters, allotment letters and completion certificates shall henceforth be issued on security-featured papers.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010
By Our Correspondent

LAHORE

After the crackdown on illegal plazas in the city, the Lahore Development Authority has decided to launch an operation against bogus private housing schemes in the provincial capital.

According to a press release issued on Monday, the LDA has cautioned the citizens against fraudulent private housing schemes, directing them to be careful in buying new plots without checking the legalities regarding the documentations of plots. It said the Punjab government, under private housing schemes ordinance 2005, had directed the Authority to check the record of private housing schemes except those in the Cantonment area.

With the help of the Punjab government, the Authority had decided to launch a drive against the illegal housing schemes and their owners involved in deceiving the poor public. The Authority has already informed the people about some of the illegal private housing schemes and is carrying out strict action against them, the press releases said