The rate at which unauthorised housing societies are spreading across the cities should put the government to shame.
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Capital Territory has approximately 74 unauthorised housing schemes in four different zones. These societies are not only looting innocent citizens in the name of exorbitant housing projects’ names and development charges, but are also ruining our future as well. As many as 27 illegal housing schemes exist in Rawal Town and 44 in Potohar Town.
The environment in the twin cities has become very congested and polluted and one wonders over the criminal silence of the environment ministry and the Capital Development Authority (CDA). The sprawl of Islamabad has almost touched the hills of Margalla and Taxila. The factories adjacent to Taxila are mercilessly destroying our landscape and posing a number of other challenges to the area.
The rate at which unauthorised housing societies are spreading across the cities should put the government to shame and its departments concerned. The CDA is believed to be the best government department for all officials who want to make a quick buck illegally.
Moreover, one wonders at the business conduct of property dealers who are always ready to paint rosy pictures to the clients about these unauthorised housing societies and dealers while appropriating heavy commission. A common man or an officer of good values and morals cannot even think of buying a plot in the ICT; it is almost impossible for a person belonging to the middle class to purchase any piece of land in or around Islamabad. But the staff of housing societies are having millions of rupees at their disposal, which are grabbed from innocent clients in the name of ‘construction’ or ‘development’ charges, or for building a mosque, etc. The electoral bodies or unions of the said housing societies are enjoying at the expense of others and this reflects the poor moral standards and decay of moral values.
This act of the officials of housing authorities is not only fraudulent, but criminal if one probes it thoroughly. One’s only rescue is not to buy any plot in a hurry and first confirm the status of the housing society from the relevant government department or visit the society yourself first and analyse the development work and the progress of the project; always take an opinion from others around you and not property dealers.
These above-stated facts are true to the best of my knowledge as I have gone through these experiences in the recent past and wish that no other individual should suffer due to negligence or shrewdness on the part of property dealers.
Tahir Iqbal Jadoon
Published in The Express Tribune, July 7th, 2014.
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