Up in the air: CDA board defers abolition of key environment posts

Some members argue that CDA chief lacks power to remove officials

ISLAMABAD: Board members of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) have deferred a move to abolish, among other positions, posts of the member for environment and director general of the wing.

Sources privy to the board’s meeting have told The Express Tribune that a summary to abolish some positions in CDA’s environmental wing was presented during a recent meeting. However, some members argued that these posts could not be abolished until the issue of devolution, after the creation of the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC), was resolved.

The meeting was told that abolishing the post of a member did not fall in the purview of the CDA chairman or other board members, rather, only Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had the authority to remove a board member after fulfilling the necessary legal formalities.

Notwithstanding, sources said that the meeting had unanimously agreed the post of member environment should be abolished. But they decided to leave the position of DG intact.

The posts of member environment and estate are currently vacant, while members planning and administration are being manned on a temporary basis. The CDA’s environmental wing used to deal with the Margalla Hills National Park, Islamabad Zoo and parks in the federal capital. However, after the IMC was formed, major environmental matters were transferred to the body and only the subject of forests remained with the CDA’s environmental wing.

Sources say CDA Chairman and IMC Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz and some members of the authority were in favour of abolishing the posts of environment member and director general since duties of these individuals had reduced significantly after the wing was devolved to the IMC.

Instead, a proposal under consideration, suggests that senior CDA officials responsible for the forest areas should be placed under the control of the Wild Life Board.

Land allotted for ITP

The CDA board, meanwhile, approved a proposal to allot four acres of land in Sector H-11/2 so that the Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) can build an office there.

According to CDA sources, the current ITP office encroaches upon 9th Avenue. Besides, the meeting discussed the allocation of plots for the construction of the Attorney General of Pakistan’s office.

Board members directed CDA’s Planning and Design wing to prepare a comprehensive summary and propose a site for this purpose.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 6^th, 2016.