Digital Master Planning of 40 Punjab Districts Completed: Local Government Minister

By Dr. Ansab Ali
Lahore, Pakistan

LAHORE: Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique has said that the establishment of the Punjab Spatial Planning Authority (PSPA) marks a significant step toward systematic and sustainable urban development across the province, adding that the digital master planning of 40 districts has been completed.

Presiding over a meeting of the PSPA at the Civil Secretariat on Friday, the minister emphasized the need for capacity building of field formations and directed officials to design a comprehensive training programme. He suggested that Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) be signed with leading universities for this purpose, while the Local Government Academy could also be utilized for training sessions.

Secretary Local Government Shakeel Ahmed Mian and Special Secretary Arshad Baig attended the meeting, while the Director General PSPA gave a detailed briefing on the authority’s progress and initiatives.

Expressing satisfaction over the digital monitoring support being extended to local governments through PSPA, Zeeshan Rafique said the initiative has strengthened oversight and transparency in town planning. The meeting decided that master plans prepared by the Special Project Unit for each tehsil and district would be displayed outside the offices of Deputy Commissioners, Assistant Commissioners, and Municipal Committees in the respective areas.

“In the next phase, master planning boards equipped with QR codes will also be installed along highways to provide easy public access to planning information,” the minister said.

He further noted that PSPA-related matters have been integrated into the Punjab government’s e-biz portal, making the approval process for housing society maps and commercialization conversions fully online. Green and agricultural zones have been clearly identified in each master plan, he added, allowing citizens to access real estate-related services digitally through the portal.

The minister directed authorities to launch an effective public awareness campaign regarding PSPA services, stressing that violations detected through the planning support system should be reported immediately. He also called for measures to make the authority financially self-sustainable.

“All types of construction in green areas without an approved master plan will require a no-objection certificate (NOC),” he warned.

Zeeshan Rafique termed the completion of province-wide master planning a major achievement of the Maryam Nawaz-led government, saying that the creation of the Punjab Spatial Planning Authority has introduced a centralized supervisory body that will be gradually strengthened to ensure effective and orderly urban development.