LDA Introduces AI-Powered Platform for Building Map Submission and Approval
Tanveer Ahmed :
The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has started working on a plan to replace its current procedure for online and manual map submission and approval with an artificial intelligence-based system following public complaints against the repeated objections raised by the authority’s architect and town-planning directorates.
“It is the need of the hour to shift to an AI-based system for sanctioning the residential and commercial maps submitted by the applicants and their approval by the LDA. For this, we have assigned our IT directorate to get an AI software prepared by developing a prototype at the earliest,” LDA Director General Mr Tahir Farooq told Dawn on Thursday.
The AI software is being designed keeping in view various documents and information required for the map approval. Once the AI-based system starts reading the documents, including maps having all information—setback, mandatory spaces, dimensions, measurement, bylaws, land-use status etc – it will automatically grant approval, leaving the officers concerned with no option but to stamp the approved map and hand it over to the applicant, both in soft and hard copies form.
“The AI software will eliminate all sorts of irregularities and corruption, allegedly committed by the official concerned after receiving the applications. After the introduction of the AI-based system, the officers will no longer be able to raise any objections,” he maintained, adding that the software will itself raise objections once it finds any shortcoming in document provision.
The LDA is currently receiving and according approval to residential and commercial maps through an online system that enables its town-planning and other officers concerned to seek and submit reports, accord approval or reject the applications.
“The existing online system is also good. But human intervention still exists, enabling the officials to raise objections and delay approvals,” says a senior official of the LDA’s town-planning wing. “Once the file is cleared by the TP wing, it is stopped by the architect section, wherein an officer was also suspended from service recently,” he says, seeking anonymity.
He says the TP wing approved as many as 6,063 maps, including 5,556 residential and 507 commercial. The official claims that through the existing online system, the LDA teams prepared GIS maps of all 64 permanent commercial roads by digitising the data. “We also identified a huge number of illegal commercial properties in the last fiscal year and imposed a Rs6 billion penalty on them,” he added.
He says that though the current system enables officers to monitor progress on the map files online and take action in case of any delay, the new AI-based system will bring more transparency in the process of receiving and approving maps and other applications.
MEETING: In a meeting held here on Thursday, the LDA governing body approved a project for the beautification, remodeling and development of the areas around Lahore railway station, Misri Shah, Azadi Chowk, Data Darbar, Bhati Chowk, Mohni Road, etc, under a sustainable development model.
The meeting presided over by the LDA Vice Chairman Mian Marghhoob Ahmad also approved the height of the buildings under permissible use and amendment in the LDA Recruitment, Appointment and Conditions of Service Regulations 1976.
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