Land for hospital expansion: Lawmakers forcing civic officials to break the law

Senate panel asks CDA to decide on matter in 15 days and submit a move to PM.


Danish Hussain April 24, 2014
Lawmakers forcing civic officials to break the law. CREATIVE COMMON

ISLAMABAD:


Senators on Wednesday pressed the city managers to allocate a chunk of park land for expansion of a hospital without taking into account the consequences of the move that, if taken, will set a bad precedent.


During the proceedings of a Senate panel meeting, the members criticised what they called “dodging moves” of the CDA.

The civic agency has objected to using the land of the public park for any other purpose, taking queue from the Islamabad Land Disposal Regulation and a number of Supreme Court decisions.

The meeting of the Senate Committee on Cabinet Secretariat was held at the Parliament House to discuss the delay in allocation of a portion of Argentina Park land for the expansion of Polyclinic hospital.

The committee’s chairperson Senator Kalsoom Perveen also asked the government to intervene to resolve the long-standing issue.

She expressed astonishment at what she called “delaying tactics” of the CDA, despite the fact that the former prime minister had allowed the expansion and law ministry had favoured it. She said the finance ministry had allocated Rs55 million during the last PPP-led government tenure for the project.

“The objections raised by the CDA’s Law Wing are beyond imagination,” Perveen said, while asking if the CDA’s law wing enjoyed more power than the law ministry.

The land disposal law strictly prohibits the use of land allocated for public parks for any other purpose. A Supreme Court decision on allocating a park in Sector F-7/4 for the establishment of a mini-golf club also prohibits the authority from using public parks for any other purpose, including development of sporting facilities.

The committee was briefed that in 2011, the government had approved the Polyclinic expansion plan, allowing the construction of a 1,000-bed building for an estimated Rs10 billion. The CDA Board consequently allotted 2.54 acres — almost one-third of Argentina Park — for the hospital’s expansion. The total cost of the land was estimated at Rs55.321 million.

Later however, the Capital Administration and Development Division asked the CDA to give the land away for free as the park was a gift from the Argentinean government.

The CDA had linked handing over the land to payment. For several reasons, neither did the government release funds for expansion, nor was the land handed over by the CDA.

Later, the civic agency withdrew the land allotment decision, citing the SC ruling.

Senator Perveen claimed that several changes had been made to land disposal regulations and the Islamabad Master Plan in the past to benefit the ruling elite, but when it came to easing the suffering of the poor, the authority had resisted it.

She asked the CDA to hold a board meeting and decide in favour of land allotment for the hospital within 15 days.

Senator Saifullah Khan Bangash claimed he would donate Rs100 million for the construction of additional blocks at the hospital. Senator Kamil Ali Agha said CDA’s law wing was of the view that recommendations of this committee were not executable. “The CDA is trying to mislead this august forum,” Agha said.

Senator Najma Hamid said the committee should forward a summary to the prime minister for the approval of land allocation for the hospital.

CDA Chairman Maroof Afzal, taking a hint from the suggestion, said free allocation of land falls under the purview of the prime minister and a summary had already been forwarded to him.

The committee asked Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab to pursue the matter and submit a report to the committee in two weeks.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 24th, 2014.

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