According to news reported in the national dailies on June 5, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) and the District Council signed regarding the regulation of private housing societies in Rawalpindi.
The District Council administrator and Deputy Commissioner Dr Hassan Waqar Cheema convened a meeting last week to discuss the district's rapidly expanding housing projects and make sure that they are effectively regulated. The management and regulation of private housing societies and the issuance of building certificates in the district will be handled by the RDA. This decision was taken in order to combine civic bodies' regulatory and authoritative tasks under one roof.
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To finalize the details of this arrangement, a dedicated five-member committee made up of representatives from the RDA, Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation, and District Council has been established. The main aim is to set the terms and conditions for handing over to the RDA from the District Council the duties related to building control and the regulation of private housing societies in Rawalpindi.
The Rawalpindi District Council will give the RDA the pertinent information and essential personnel resources so as to promote a smooth transition and guarantee effective regulation. Beginning on June 25, the RDA will formally take over the management and oversight of private housing societies in the local government areas that have been given to it by the District Council administrator.
It is relevant to note that the RDA does not yet have the legal power to monitor private housing societies in the district or take legal action against any illegal societies, schemes, or constructions until the MoU is finalized. However, it is now clear that the local government can assign its duties to the development authority under Section 23 of the Local Government Act of 2022, giving the RDA greater power to regulate private housing societies.
