LAHORE - The Punjab government has ordered the LDA to finalise arrangements to award new contracts for the development of roads to Frontier Works Organisation (FWO)'s like construction firms despite the fact that the move will not only deprive all registered contractors of LDA from their livelihood but also inflict financial damages to the authority. LDA contractor association has warned to move the court and register its protest to CM Punjab Shahbaz Sharif.   The motive behind the directives issued by Punjab government led by CM Punjab Shahbaz Sharif are learnt to ensure hard-wearing and well-designed roads keeping in view digital age demands with better coordination of TEPA, WASA and LESCO so that after their construction, they could never be dug up for any purpose. The move is also aimed to ensure the completion of roads within stipulated time frame. It may be recalled that former Punjab government headed by then CM Punjab Pervaiz Elahi had initiated the same move having same aims and targets as being visualised by Shahbaz Sharif by ordering LDA to give new contracts to FWO's like construction firms. But, regretfully the move badly failed to produce the results. The former Punjab government had awarded contracts of all roads to the FWO in first mega project of CDGL housing scheme, LDA Avenue-I, meant only for the government servants and set 2006 as completion target. Sorrowfully, the development works in the scheme came to grinding halt as FWO with all its trained staff and machineries of international standard could not construct roads due to one and another reasons. It may be recalled that FWO was paid 49.49 per cent of the total development charges bypassing the rules and regulations. With the huge payment, prices of plots had to be increased. However, allotees are still deprived of their plots as the development works in LDA Avenue-I scheme have been facing inordinate delay over the last many years.   It is feared that if the move gets materialised, not only the all the registered contractors serving LDA over the last many years would be deprived of their livelihood but also the LDA has to face financial damages as after the signing of contract with the selected firm, authority would have to pay 30 percent of total earmarked amount in advance. While according to LDA bylaws, authority is legally bound to pay not more than 4 percent of the total allocated amount to the contractor for any development work. Sources said that LDA DG irfan Ali gave the detailed briefing to provincial legislators about the development works to be launched in coming days during a meeting participated by WASA chairman Bilal Yaseen, Malik Afzal Khokhar, Nasir Ahmed Bhutta, Roheel Asghar, Umar Sohail Zia Butt, Mian Marghoob Ahmed, Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur Rehman, Ch. Shahbaz, Ch. Allah Rakha, Naveed Injam, Nana Mubashar and others He informed the participants that LDA and its subordinate agencies would spend Rs. 8 billion on development projects. While Rs. 335 billion would be spent on construction and rehabilitation of roads.  He further informed them that new contracts would be rendered to FWO's like construction firms to transform Lahore as model city. LDA contractor association president Haider Ali Mirza said "we are being planned to remove from the scene after we have spent million of rupee to meet pre-qualification procedure. He said that contractors would not keep silent over the injustice. He said that move would amount to throw the LDA into financial crunch. General Secretary Khawaja Kashif said that association would not tolerate the financial murder of the contractors. He said that if the move was not withdrawn, contractors would knock the door of court.   It is pertinent to mention that after observing delay in LDA avenue I housing scheme in 2007, district Nazim Mian Amir Mehmood directed LDA officials for launching a grand anti-encroachment operation in collaboration with FWO. He entrusted the task to a specially constituted committee for this purpose, headed by Additional Director General LDA. Nazim directed FWO for completing construction of mosque and community center in LDA Avenue-1 without further delay An amount of Rs. one billion had been allocated for construction of big and small roads in the scheme  LDA Avenue I Housing Scheme was launched with notification under section-17 (4) and (6) of Land Acquisition Act 1894.   LDA's Avenue-1 is the district government's first mega development residential project since the local government took control of the LDA.  The scheme has to benefit a total of 11,000 government employees.