ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA), one of the most prestigious public sector organisations in the country, is again in the news for mismanagement in the allotment of expensive plots. The CDA was established in 1960 to build the national capital. A capital city should always have more than just physical infrastructure, i.e., roads and buildings. It should have recreational facilities, parks, play grounds, civic amenities, schools, hospitals, etc. The cultural dimension is also crucial for a national capital.
Unfortunately, the CDA has miserably failed to build and maintain the national capital properly. With the passage of time, Islamabad has been divided into elite zones — where the rich and the powerful people live — and areas where the underprivileged live and suffer. Most of the budget and resources of the CDA are reserved for the ‘elite’ sectors only. Islamabad has become a complex city over the years where living, working and travelling are becoming difficult. Basic necessities like clean drinking water are now beyond the reach of residents in certain areas.
There could be many reasons for this state of affairs. One of them is that the CDA never had a committed and professional administration. It has always been treated like any other government organisation with bureaucrats running it whimsically. The policies and practices of these ‘babus’ have turned most areas of Islamabad into ghettos.
There was a CDA chairman in the 1980s who was very generous in doling out plots to his friends. Such CDA bosses have wreaked havoc with the assets of the organisation and the master plan for Islamabad. Since there is no accountability mechanism in place, various CDA bosses have mutilated the face of the capital. If it had not been for the media, they would have turned Islamabad into a great slum. There should be a competent forum to select the chairman of the CDA, one who is known for his integrity and competence.
Asghar Mahmood
Published in The Express Tribune, September 6th, 2012.
