Law on insurance of plazas soon

The Punjab government is introducing a new law on insurance of plazas, it is learnt. Draft bill of the proposed law has been prepared and it will be tabled in the Punjab Assembly this year, sources say, adding owners of each shop in a plaza will share the cost of the insurance.

In case of violation, the plaza will be sealed, the sources say.

The proposed law is aimed at protecting rights of owners, maintenance of high-rises, ensuring their security systems, provision of utility services and keeping them operational, the sources say.

A management committee elected from and by owners of each plaza will be formed which will have the supervisory role in all affairs of the building.

Meanwhile, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has also amended its building code for multi-storey structures.

Under the new code, a structural plan will have to be submitted to the authority along with the building plan. A copy of these plans will go to structural engineers the government is going to recruit soon while another copy will be submitted to the private consultant registered with the LDA.
The architect, the structural engineer and the engineer hired by the land developer plus town planning wing of the LDA will supervise construction of the building.

Under the monitoring schedule, the LDA building inspector will at least inspect the site once a week and submit its written report which will be added to the file of the building.

Town planning and structural engineering assistant directors each will pay a visit once in every fortnight and they both will also file their written reports. The deputy director will visit the site once a month.

The land developer/contractor of a commercial building will be bound to file certificates and affidavits of his hired engineer, structural engineer and architect after completing each phase of the plaza only then he will be allowed to start work on the next phase.

To ensure that non-technical people are not involved as contractors for building any commercial structure, the contractor must be certified by the Pakistan Engineering Council.

About the already constructed buildings, it has been decided that the buildings whose structural designs are flawless will be regularised after imposing a penalty.

However, adding floors and covering parking sites will not be allowed and all such constructions will be demolished.

In the meantime, the town planning and coordination wing of Samanabad Town on Sunday demolished four structures being built illegally.

Upper floor of Pizza Inn and a portion of a commercial building adjacent to the ND Islamia School on Ferozepur Road were demolished and cases were also registered against the owners for illegal constructions.

A commercial building on Nadeem Shaheed Road and sheds constructed in the rear of Madina Tower at Muslim Town Morr were also razed to ground.

Source: The Dawn