The Lahore Development Authority has decided to demolish the 7th, 8th and 9th floors of the LDA Plaza that were damaged in a fire that erupted on the 7th and 8th floor on May 9.
The LDA has established a trust fund to provide financial support to the families of the employees who died in the fire. Assistance will be given in addition to the compensation and service benefits, including pension. The LDA will contribute Rs15 million to the trust fund. Donors including NGOs and philanthropists will also be requested to contribute to the fund. The trust will be governed by a board of trustees which will include the LDA director general, the additional director general (Head Quarters), the housing director, the finance director, the administration director, two members of the civil society and two representatives of the families of the deceased employees.
These decisions were announced at a meeting of the LDA’s governing body chaired by Syed Rizwan Mahboob, the district coordination officer, here on Friday. LDA Director General Ijaz Munir, Additional Director General (Head Quarters) Mariam Kayani, WASA Managing Director Javed Iqbal and LDA Chief Engineer Asrar Saeed Khan participated in the meeting.
The LDA had previously announced that it would double the amount of compensation (Rs500,000) paid to the families of the 24 victims. A sum of Rs1 million was given to each family. Three employees with serious injuries were given Rs100,000 each and seven officials with lesser injuries were given Rs50,000 each.
The LDA has sought permission from the Punjab government to provide employment to qualified children of the deceased employees.
Zafar Khan, an employee at a private firm, was awarded Rs500,000 in recognition of his services. Khan had saved five people trapped in the fire by pulling them on to the roof of the plaza.
The committee also decided to allot a 22 kanal plot in Township to the Special Education Department to establish a centre for the disabled. The plot, valued at Rs120 million has been leased to the department for 99 years at the cost of Rs99. This decision, however, would not serve as a precedent for allotment of plots on lease.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 25th, 2013.