Revival of Land Acquisition Process

Revival of Land Acquisition Process: Lahore’s Expressway Project Reinitiated

According to information obtained on June 11th from a dependable source, the Punjab government has announced the resumption of the land acquisition process for the Gulberg-Babu Sabu elevated motorway project in Lahore.

The project was initially put on hold in 2017 for several reasons. But the government is now dedicated to completing it quickly. The project cost has climbed significantly from PKR 18 billion to PKR 85 billion.

The authority has contacted individuals whose lands, mostly residential homes, were earmarked for acquisition in 2016 under the Land Acquisition process, claims an unnamed LDA employee. These people are asked to visit the LDA offices or the appropriate revenue agency personnel to obtain their initial 2016 compensation.

The Lahore Elevated Expressway’s land acquisition procedure, which includes 801 kanals of land, was started in 2016. When the final award under the Land Acquisition Act was made public in 2017. The majority rejected it even if some people received compensation. Additionally, many who did accept compensation have not yet been given government custody of their lands.

The government reviewed the Gulberg-Babu Sabu Motorway project in early 2022. But progress was delayed as a result of the fall of the government. The Punjab Planning & Development Department is now debating the revised project cost estimate of PKR 85 billion.

LDA Tasks

According to reports, the LDA has been tasked with finishing the land acquisition procedure, and those impacted are urged to accept their compensation and turn over ownership of their lands to the government. Those who have previously been compensated and have not sold their homes have been told to do so.

The Lahore Commissioner and LDA Director General, Muhammad Ali Randhawa, called a meeting to discuss this issue and instructed pertinent officers to speed up the procedure. He emphasised the requirement for a streamlined process at the LDA. It includes creating a special one-window counter to make it easier for people to get paid for their forfeited lands. The project is significant for Lahore and might completely change the course of the city.