LAHORE: For timely approval of building plans and bringing transparency in its process, the Metropolitan Corporation Lahore (MCL)’s Town Planning Department has fully activated its e-construction portal system.
In this connection, Punjab Local Government and Community Development Secretary Dr Ahmed Javed Qazi chaired a meeting on Saturday to review the performance of the Metropolitan Corporation Lahore (MCL)’s Town Planning Department. Special Secretary Municipalities Asia Gul, Additional Secretary Admin Maleeha Rashid, MCL Chief Officer Iqbal Farid, and senior officials from the Town Planning Department and Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) were present at the meeting. The matter relating to the e-construction portal and the use of modern technology to prevent illegal constructions came under discussion.
While addressing the meeting, the Punjab Local Government Secretary said that the reform process has started in the MCL Town Planning Department and the e-construction portal was a part of that reform, which is fully functional for solving the pending cases of maps. “With the help of the technology many problems can be solved and hence, to strengthen the planning department with new technology the PITB’s assistance was sought,” he added.
He said that Special Secretary Municipalities Asia Gul will monitor the performance of both planning and building officers on the e-construction portal and any delay in the process of a map approval will be scrutinised.
He continued that the performance of both planning and building officers will be monitored on the e-portal thrice a week and directed them to fulfil all legal requirements before approving the building plans.
He warned that indiscriminate action would be taken against the officers who do not log into the e-portal. “All officers of the planning department have been warned that no maladministration or malpractice will be tolerated in the approval of maps and departmental action will be taken immediately upon receipt of complaints against them,” he added.
On this occasion, the representatives of PITB informed the meeting by activating the e-portal, all zonal officers were provided with new logins while old logins were deleted and a PITB representative was deputed in the MCL to resolve technical complaints and assist the MCL staff in the usage of the e-portal.
They further said that the first phase of training of all the officers has been completed and thus all the planning officers will have complete details of their zone available at all times.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024