Prime Minister Wants Speedy Legislation for Stopping Land-Use Changes

ISLAMABAD:  Prime Minister Imran Khan while chairing a meeting on of the National Coordination Committee (NCC) on Housing, Construction & Development to review the progress made on existing and new projects, has said that the current government is working round the clock to ensure a safe and sound database system of land and to avert land-use changes which are turning green vegetation areas into construction projects. The PM directed the provincial governments to carry out immediate legislation in connection with land-use changes. He said that cadastral mapping is also very important and would play a vital role in stopping encroachments and generating revenues. The premier also continued that under the Naya Pakistan Housing project the economic activities are in full swing and around 250,000 jobs opportunities have also been created under the program.

The PM added that the construction projects can only be allowed under certain regulations and not at the cost of green areas and cultivable lands because the protection of green areas and agricultural land is very important for food security and environmental issues. That’s why He said that legislation regarding land use changes must be expedited on an urgent basis in provinces and AJK. The PM while giving his remarks in response to the briefing given by the Surveyor-General of Pakistan said that cadastral mapping would help in the development of an authentic land record database, identifying demarcation of land and, removal of illegal encroachments.

The premier was also informed that in phase 1 of the mapping exercise around 90 percent digitization of land has been finalized in Punjab,96 percent in KP, and 50 percent in Balochistan. The Chairman CDA informed the members of the meeting that by the use of cadastral mapping the CDA has started imposing fines on the encroachers. Information  Minister Fawad Chaudhary, Minister of State Farrukh Habib,  Dr. Shehbaz Gill, Minister for Local Govts Punjab Mian Mehmood ur Rasheed and Surveyor General of Pakistan among the notables in the meeting. The provincial chief secretaries attended the meeting through video link.