Lahore Horticulture Authority board approves Rs9.6bn budget, raises park booking rates

LAHORE: The second meeting of the Board of Directors of the Horticulture Agency Lahore was held with Chairman Ghazali Saleem Butt in the chair. Managing Director Ahmad Usman Javed, additional managing directors and representatives of the relevant departments, including Housing, Finance, and Planning and Development, attended. Matters relating to various directorates and the agenda items were reviewed in detail.

Budget and allocation

The meeting approved a budget of Rs9.6 billion for the financial year 2026-27. It also approved the allocation of Rs50 million (Rs5 crore) for holding the Gul-e-Dadi show 2027.

Administrative recommendations and rates

To improve institutional affairs and make the administrative structure effective, the board recommended adopting the Punjab government’s service rules, pension rules and the PEDA Act. It also recommended renaming the post of AMD Headquarters as AMD Operations and the post of Project Director as Director Horticulture.

It was decided that the agency would be authorised to charge the fixed 12.5 per cent service charges on deposit works. A 5 per cent increase in outdoor advertisement rates and a 10 per cent increase in park booking rates for events were approved. The board also approved empowering the Director Coordination to impose fines for violations of lease conditions.

Under a public-private partnership, Fatima Jinnah Park, Shadman, was approved to be handed over to the management of Crescent School. The construction of executive washrooms to improve public facilities in parks, and the renting out of a cinema and an open-air theatre in Greater Iqbal Park, were also approved.

The meeting also decided to provide uniforms to field and security staff and to have the necessary denting and painting of vehicles done for field operations.

The participants reviewed proposals on the agency’s administrative, financial and operational matters and considered measures to improve performance and provide quality facilities to citizens.