Kurri Model Village scam: CDA owns up to corruption charges

CDA chairman says no loss incurred to the national exchequer.

ISLAMABAD:

Lawmakers were appalled to learn that the Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) own inquiry report has proven that allegations of corruption in plot allotments in Kurri Model Village were indeed true.

During Monday’s proceedings of a Sub-Committee of the National Assembly Standing Committee on the Cabinet Division headed by Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, the inquiry committee revealed several irregularities during the process of allotment of plots in Kurri, made under the supervision of the then CDA Land and Rehabilitation director. The report highlighted that a large number of allotment letters were issued in one day, bypassing prescribed rules and processes. The anomalies arose primarily because allotment files were not completed and allotment letters were hastily issued, they added.

(Read: Fake allotments in Kurri village: PAC body holds CDA officials responsible)

The CDA chairman told the parliamentarians that due to timely action by the civic authority, no loss occurred to the national exchequer in the Kurri Model Village scam. He said that the CDA has cancelled all allotments under the scheme and has taken action against the officials responsible, including former CDA assistant director Sheikh Rashid, who was forced to retire from service with effect from August 30.

He said that all allotment letters issued under the Kurri scheme so far have been declared invalid and withdrawn with immediate effect. He said that the authority has initiated the process of revalidation of allotment letters issued during the period in question.

Officials of two state agencies, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and CDA, exchanged harsh words over the arrest of two CDA officials during the proceedings.

FIA officials alleged that according to their investigation, it was investors, rather than genuinely affected people, who benefitted from CDA’s Kurri Model Village scheme. They also alleged that CDA was one of the most corrupt government departments.

CDA Chairman Imtiaz Inayat Elahi responded that a National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) beneficiary in the FIA was also included in the team probing officials of the civic body. He said that, “The FIA is no exception to corruption,” and the practice is common in each and every government department. He claimed that “innocent” CDA officials were being harassed by FIA officials.

FIA Rawalpindi-Islamabad Zone Anti-corruption Deputy Director Sajjad Haider denied the CDA chairman’s allegation, saying that his name was never included in the list of NRO beneficiaries. He clarified that FIA officials are not harassing any CDA official, but are carrying out investigations as there are serious allegations against CDA staff.

Elahi said that the CDA is cooperating fully with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and FIA, which are both inquiring into Kurri and Rehara schemes and all relevant records have been handed over to the agencies by the CDA Directorate of Land and Rehabilitation. “In spite of this, the FIA has lodged an FIR against nine CDA officials,” he added.

(Read: Violation of civic - CDA prompted against housing scheme violations)

When Sajjad Haider tried to respond to the CDA chairman’s later claims, the committee members did not allow him to speak and asked the FIA officials to leave the committee room.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 20^th,  2011.