The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has finalized a draft of a legal framework with the aim to ensure protection of agricultural land/green areas and prevention of illegal construction activities on agricultural lands.
This was stated during a meeting regarding the proposed Land Use and Building Control Authority Act 2021 here on Tuesday with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the chair.
Provincial Minister for Local Government Akbar Ayub, Chief Secretary Dr. Kazim Niaz, Senior Member Board of Revenue Syed Zafar Ali Shah, Advocate General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shumail Butt and concerned administrative secretaries attended the meeting.
The meeting was briefed in detail about background, aims and objectives and salient features of the proposed Act. The meeting was told that under the proposed Act, besides the establishment of Land Use and Building Control Authority, setting up of a council at provincial level had been proposed with Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as its head.
The council will have representation from the provincial cabinet, concerned administrative secretaries and experts from private sectors. The council will be mandated for the approval of land use plans for any district and amendments to it as and when needed.
The Chief Minister agreed in principle to the proposed draft of Land Use & Building Control Authority Act 2021 and directed the concerned quarters to present the same to the provincial cabinet for approval so that the same could be tabled in the provincial assembly for final approval.
He termed the protection of agricultural land and prevention of illegal construction activities on agriculture land as focus areas of the incumbent government and said that it needed an effective legal framework and its strict implementation adding that the provincial government was taking serious steps for the purpose.
It was further informed that besides approval of land use plans and master plans of districts, the council would provide policy framework and work as an oversight body for implementation of policies in this regard.
The meeting was further told that under the proposed act setting up of district committee at each district level had been proposed which would be headed by Deputy Commissioner concerned whereas heads of all line departments would be the member of said committee. The District Committee would prepare a land use plan at district level and forwarded it to the provincial council for final approval.
The District committee would also ensure implementation of the approved land use plan at district level. The meeting was further informed that at Tehsil Municipal Administration level establishment of an Inspectorate has been proposed which would ensure maintenance of land use record and take action against violators of building laws and bylaws.
The meeting was further told that setting up of tribunals has also been provided in the proposed act for listening to the complaints of citizens with regard to land use plan and their redressal.
Briefing the forum about the master planning of districts, it was told that so far master planning of six districts had been completed while consultants were being hired for the master planning of 22 more districts.
The Chief Minister directed the quarter concerned to fix timelines for the completion of master planning of the remaining districts and to complete the master planning of the urban districts on priority basis further directing that master planning of districts should be for next 30 years instead of 20 years.
Mahmood Khan said that the provincial government intended to establish at least two family parks in each district in the coming next two years and directed the authorities concerned to identify suitable lands in districts for the purpose.
