Plots in new sectors: Civic agency continues to ignore middle class

All plots in sectors announced in last six years were priced at Rs10m and above.

ISLAMABAD: The capital’s civic agency continues to follow a policy that caters only the housing needs of the rich ignoring the poor and the middle class in the development of residential sectors.

During the last five years, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has only focused on developing and selling residential plots only rich can purchase while development of residential sectors genuinely meant for the middle-income groups has remained at the bottom of the civic agency’s priority list.



Now, the CDA intends to offer over 100 plots “to the general public” next month at C-15 – a residential sector at the foothills of the Margallas and meant for the rich only due to the high price.

Although the authority’s finance wing has yet to calculate the cost of the one-kanal (approximately 600 square yards) plot at the sector but according to an Estate Management Wing officer “it will be around Rs10 million”.

The plots would be disposed of through open balloting, he said.

In recent past, the authority “successfully” sold some 300 residential plots of one-kanal at the extension of the Park Enclave each costing Rs20.05 million. Two years ago, 100 plots were sold at the said scheme each costing Rs17.5 million. While last such venture was the sale of some 700 plots at Park Enclave-I each costing Rs12 million.

However, during this period, no serious efforts were made to resolve long-pending issues related to the development of low-income residential sectors.

Stretching over an area of 4,000-kanal, C-15 was announced by the CDA in 2008.



The authority successfully resolved the issues related to possession of land here and almost 95 per cent of the sector’s land is clear for development.

As many as 387 plots have already been allotted to locals who surrendered their land at the sector.

But, the sectors announced in the late 1980s or early 1990s and meant for the middle class are still confronting a plethora of issues in terms of their development.

The situation has resulted in the increasing cost of residential properties in developed sectors and high rents.

“We have an example of the development of Sector I-15. It was announced some 22 years ago and was basically meant to cater to the low-income groups including low-grade government servants. Its development has yet to complete,” said an official of the CDA.

He said the situation was forcing the low-income groups to invest their money in illegal housing schemes in the suburbs of the city.

The city’s master plan identifies Zone-I as the main residential sectors. It covers an area of 55,162 acres, and the authority was supposed to develop some 58 sectors in phases in this zone. Till date, the authority has developed only 29 sectors and failed to develop the remaining half.

The authority’s spokesperson, Ramzan Sajid, when asked, repelled the impression that the CDA was only serving the housing needs of the rich and paying little attention to low-income housing.

“Recently, the CDA awarded development contract of Sector I-12,” Sajid said, adding the sector was purely for middle-income groups.

Similarly, he said, the authority was in the process of awarding work contract at Sector I-15. He acknowledged the rising gap between housing needs and availability of housing units in Islamabad.

“Almost all the functions, the CDA, is performing would be devolved to the local government. The CDA will leave with no other responsibility but to develop housing sectors,” Sajid said adding the CDA would be fully focusing on that issue in the days to come.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 23^rd,  2016.