LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to fully digitalize housing societies across the province and streamline the process for obtaining No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to facilitate registration and eliminate bureaucratic hurdles.
In a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, key decisions were made regarding the regularization of illegal Punjab housing societies and the protection of citizens from fraud. A new online portal, the “Housing Society Management System,” will soon be launched to oversee property approvals, transfers, NOC fee payments, and society management.
This centralized digital platform will allow for the transparent development and monitoring of housing projects, with a high-level committee designated to supervise the regularization process across the province.
CM Maryam Nawaz expressed concern that poor individuals are often deceived and denied plots after making payments. She criticized the role of certain government departments in enabling illegal housing schemes and emphasized the need for swift legal resolution and public relief through a one-time, law-compliant amnesty.
The provincial government is also actively exploring the implementation of an amnesty scheme for unauthorized housing societies to bring them into legal compliance.
During the meeting, officials shared that Punjab hosts 7,905 housing societies spread over 20 lakh canals of land. Out of these, 5,118 societies are either illegal or under legal review, while only 2,687 have been granted clearance.
Furthermore, the chief minister was informed that among the 707 housing schemes under the Lahore Development Authority (LDA), 427 are approved, 206 are illegal, and 74 remain under investigation.