Punjab committee seeks details of legal and illegal housing societies

The Punjab Assembly's Public Accounts Committee One has requested details of legal and illegal housing societies across the province, including Lahore, Express News reported.

The committee directed all deputy commissioners to submit complete details of the housing societies in their districts within 60 days. It also asked for the identification of officials responsible for alleged negligence in the establishment of illegal societies.

The committee requested information from the Senior Member Board of Revenue, the Secretary Local Government and the Secretary Housing. Officials were asked how many housing societies exist in the province, how many of them are legal and how many illegal, and which institutions were negligent in setting up the illegal ones.

The committee also asked for details of the action taken so far against illegal housing societies. Officials were asked what steps were taken to stop the establishment of such societies and what action was taken against those responsible for violations.

The committee questioned the sale of plot files in legal housing societies as well. It asked for details of cases where more plot files were sold than the available land allows.

As an example, the committee asked how 20,000 plot files could be sold in a housing society built on 5,000 kanal of land.

It further requested details of the steps taken to provide relief to citizens affected by the sale of plot files exceeding a society's land. The relevant departments were directed to give answers and the required records to the committee within the set time.