Rules to regulate housing schemes framed by PDA

PESHAWAR: On the directives of the provincial local government department, to streamline the affairs of private housing schemes, Peshawar Development Authority has framed The Peshawar Development Authority Private Housing Scheme Regulations, 2019, under Section 48 (A) of PDA Act, 2017.

To overcome existing ownership issues, the new regulations state that for the development of a housing scheme, a minimum area of 100-Kanal is required.

Through the regulations, the submission of the financial statement by the developer to the authority is compulsory. This will indicate that enough funds are available for the development of the proposed housing scheme that includes bank statements, detail of self-owned assets or loan agreement with a scheduled bank (if any) and planning standards for a housing scheme.

Furthermore, the land acquisition collector office of PDA through liaison with the concerned revenue officer shall, within ten (10) working days, scrutinise the ownership documents to ascertain the genuineness and validity of the same thereby confirming the ownership of land.

Before the development of a housing scheme, land acquisition collector (LAC) will be responsible to verify the non-encumbrance certificate from the relevant government office thereby certifying that the land has not been notified by the government for any other purpose. After clarification, the LAC will make sure that the width of the access road is not less than 30 feet. The LAC will also be responsible

The PDA has fixed the maximum size of residential plot to be 10,890 square feet (two kanals) and minimum size of residential plot 816.75 square feet (three marlas).

The developers have been directed to reserve 20% of the plots in a housing scheme for the low-income groups measuring three to five marla plots.

The internal roads should be a minimum of 30 feet right of way and a 10-marla plot for solid waste management, along with 7% open space or parks of total land acquired for the development of the housing scheme, 2% for graveyard, 5% for commercial buildings, land for grid station and green strip under high tension electricity line as per requirements of the government agency responsible for provision of electricity.

The Provincial Environment Protection Agency (EPA) will be involved in the selection of land for private housing schemes, as they will check whether the proposed site for the housing scheme is not prone to flooding and other environmental hazards and that the development of a housing scheme or will not result in any damage to the environment.

The private housing societies also have to provide proper land for the housing schemes along with all basic amenities that include sanitation, drinking water, natural gas, electricity, proper roads and public parks etc.

If any developer initiates developmental activities within a scheme area or engages in sale and purchase of land within the scheme area without permission of the authority for the first time, will be held liable to punishment, which may include imprisonment that can extend up to three years or with both under the relevant provisions of PDA Act, 2017, along with a fine up to Rs5 million fine and imprisonment.

According to the regulations, the second time violation will result in the area of the housing scheme area will be taken over by the authority and the land will be forfeited in the favour of the government. The authority will intimate the same to the deputy commissioner with the request to freeze the transfer of titles within the area.

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