Press Release

Lahore Master Plan to cater to the industrial needs

Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Vice-Chairman S.M Imran has said that the new Master Plan of Lahore will cater to the future needs of the industrial sector. He was speaking at a meeting of the stakeholders at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI). LCCI President Mian Tariq Misbah presented the address of welcome and highlighted the issues being faced by the business community. CTO Lahore Muntazir Mehdi, Director Town Planning, LDA Shakeel Anjum Minhas, SP Civil Lines Raza Kazmi and Executive Committee Member Haji Muhammad Asif Sehar also spoke on the occasion.

He said that in the past, all master plans were made without keeping in view the ground realities and due consultation with the stake holders. He said that new Master Plan of Lahore is being evolved under wide consultation with the stakeholders to protect their stakes.

“We are making new Master Plan of Lahore for the next generations”, he said and added that special attention is being given to the environment according to the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

He said that all decisions will be finalized in consultation with the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

LCCI President Mian Tariq Misbah said that there was insufficient land in and around Lahore for industrial investment and expansion as there were only two major industrial estates in Lahore i.e. Sundar and Quaid-e-Azam industrial Estate which had reached their full capacity.  This was the main reason that the cost of industrial land had gone extremely high in Lahore. 

He said that LCCI has always advocated for re-zoning of Lahore Division to accommodate the needs of future expansion of industrial sector, he added.

He said that due to the lack of industrial zoning, the industry was overburdened by high rate of conversion fee for land use charged by LDA (20 per cent of the value according to DC rate). 

He said that LCCI had also proposed that all existing industrial units should be regularised without any prescribed fee and conversion charges. Mian Tariq Misbah added that in a recent development, the government had removed Sheikhupura, Kasur, Nankana from limits of LDA. 

This would limit the jurisdiction of LDA and hamper the pace of development activities in these districts. Sheikhupura, Kasur and Nankana would come under the control of RUDA, he said and added that it must be shared that which government organization would regulate these districts from now on?

He said that the business community appreciated the vision of the Prime Minister regarding the Ravi Riverfront Development Project as it would enhance the growth rate of housing, construction and many allied sectors.

Mian Tariq Misbah said that in the planning stage of this multi-trillion rupees project, the industrial units located in and around this area, especially the steel rolling units were being marked and sealed.  Notices were being served to the industrial units under the Section 4 of Land Acquisition Act. 

He mentioned that hundreds of industrial units are located in this area since many years which were providing substantial employment opportunities. He recommended that all measures should be taken in consultation with the stakeholders and this affair should be handled with care and responsibility.