Moment of truth: CDA likely to brief Nawaz today on action plan

Civic body is drafting plans to improve operations, service delivery

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has summoned officials of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Friday (today) to give a presentation on steps the civic body would take to improve service delivery in the capital.

CDA officials have been given a slot after noon to give the briefing.

Last week Nawaz had directed CDA to take immediate measures to improve its working and service delivery and give him a detailed presentation about its action plans immediately after January 5. However, the premier had not given a fixed date and time for the meeting then.

A source in CDA told The Express Tribune that on Thursday the PM office told the authority to have details on plans ready by 12 pm on Friday.

They added that officials at CDA’s Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) and Engineering wing were working on the presentations till late into the evening on Thursday.

In a letter issued from the PM’s office on December 26, PM Nawaz had expressed his displeasure over the sorry state of footpaths and roads, particularly in smaller streets within the sectors and lack of cleanliness along the streams flowing through the city, water pollution, broken and worn down state of public parks, particularly in outer sectors and suburbs of the city.

The premier had also pointed towards mushrooming encroachments in markets and along roads which disturbed traffic flow.

Nawaz had also expressed his discontentment over the lack of horticulture activity on a reasonable scale in the city in addition to incomplete and misleading road signs in the capital.

Subsequently last Saturday, Minister of State for Capital Administration & Development Division (CADD) Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry had suspended four officers of the CDA including Engineering Member Shahid Sohail, EM Director General Sohail Anjum, EM Asif Jah and Street Lights Deputy Director Irfan Khokhar, over unsatisfactory municipal and allied services.

These CDA officers were directed to improve street lighting system, particularly along smaller roads within the sectors.

The suspensions came after CADD minister had visited CDA early last week to convey Nawaz’s displeasure and concerns over the unsatisfactory performance in the municipal and allied services provided by the civic body.

The PM office had also directed CDA to take immediate measures to improve its working and service delivery.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 6^th, 2017.