The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has suspended 24 officers from their offices for their involvement in the illegal construction of plazas and the inquiry against them has been initiated. According to a LDA's spokesman here on Tuesday, a three-member committee would investigate the matter and submit the report within 60 days to the LDA Director General.
It may be recalled that on the recommendation of the High-rise Building Commission, an inquiry committee was constituted to probe into officials involved in illegal activity in connection with the construction of plazas. The committee, comprising Secretary Services, Secretary Livestock, Chairman Chief Minister Task Force and LDA Director General, recommended inquiry against 33 officials involved in the illegal constructions of plazas, among them three have been retired, one has died and three have returned to their parent departments.
Meanwhile, the LDA has offered plaza owners and builders to demolish their unlawful buildings by themselves under the supervision of the LDA staff within the stipulated time, he added. If it is not done within the given time framework then the LDA would itself demolish the unlawful construction and plaza owners/builders would bear the cost, the spokesman said. Also, the LDA has set up control room at Gulberg for monitoring the demolition of illegal plazas and camp offices have been set up outside six plazas, spokesman maintained. Demolishing of illegal construction would be carried out round the clock in two shifts.