Daily Times

On the directives of Director General (DG) Saif Anwar Jappa, Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) is taking strict action in accordance with the law against the rules violators and the illegal buildings are being sealed.

According to RDA spokesman, the Land Use and Building Control (LU&BC) Wing RDA under its ongoing operation against illegal and unauthorized commercial buildings conducted raids and took action in accordance with the law against the rules violators.

As many as 146 illegal buildings including 100 shops at Banni stop, Mori Ghazan area on Chakri Road, one residential under construction building at Gulraiz Housing scheme Rwp, booking offices of two illegal private housing schemes at Moza Thalian near new airport Islamabad and commercial market Rwp and 40 illegal shops on Girja and Chakra roads were sealed during last two weeks.

He said the authority had launched a grand operation against illegal construction to curb encroachments and land grabbing. The LU&BC Wing staff including Assistant Directors, Building Inspectors and others carried out the operation and sealed the illegal commercial buildings as the owners of the properties had violated approved plans/maps, violated the Punjab Development of Cities Act 1976 and RDA Building and Zoning Regulations 2021.

The owners of the properties constructed illegal commercial buildings without approval and No Objection Certificates from the authorities concerned, he added. He said that on the direction of the DG notices were also served earlier to the rules violators. The spokesman informed that the DG had directed the authorities concerned to take strict action against illegal and unauthorized residential cum commercial buildings and encroachments without any discrimination.

The citizens had also been requested to remove encroachments on their own to avoid legal action, he said.

To a question the spokesman said that the owners and sponsors of the illegal housing schemes were misleading the public through advertisements, adding, in this regard, the planning wing of the RDA had also requested the Cyber Crime Wing of FIA to take legal action against the illegal and misleading advertisements of illegal housing schemes.

He said that the DG had also requested the departments concerned including Parks and Horticulture Authority, Local Government and Rawalpindi Cantonment Board that they should not give approval of advertisements of illegal housing schemes. Prior approval letters may be sought from RDA to save the people from fraud and cheating, he added.

He said the DG had advised the citizens not to invest in illegal and unauthorized housing schemes and check the status of the projects before any investment on RDA’s official website rda.gop.pk.