As per the directions of prime minister (PM) Imran Khan, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has announced reducing its timeframes for providing the building plan approvals. These include map approvals for residential, commercial, mixed-use and high-rise projects.
The authority will now provide building plan approvals for residential projects within 21 days and within 30 days for commercial projects. However, for high-rise projects, LDA will issue the building plan approval within 45 days.
For further facilitation, the authority will also begin issuing all the required no-objection certificates (NOCs) for the projects through its one-window facility.
The LDA has also informed the PM that arrangements are underway for bringing all departments relevant to building plan approvals under one roof. This will help further streamline the entire process.
This is an important development considering that the construction and real estate sector are already facing inevitable impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hopefully, the LDA will stick to its commitments.