Civic body incurred loss of Rs65b due to non-payment of rent and encroachment. PHOTO: INP/FILE
According to documents available with The Express Tribune, CDA’s Building Control Section (BCS) recently asked owners of the Shifa International Hospital (SIH), Centaurus Mall and Silver Oaks to vacate the civic agency’s land and bring their respective properties in accordance with the laws.
Failure to comply would force the authority into taking stern action against the encroachments.
“During the Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC) meeting held on April 18, three cases came up for discussion whereby Capital Administration Development Division secretary had shown displeasure over non-action by the CDA,” officials of the authority told The Express Tribune while requesting anonymity since they were not authorised to talk to the media.
They added that the BCS had already served notices to the owners of these buildings and were currently drafting seal orders for approval by senior officials of the body.
“The encroachers and violators have been given 15 more days to remove encroachments and to bring their properties under conforming use otherwise will have to face action in the form of cease and retrieval of land,” BCS officials told The Express Tribune.
CDA sources explained that SIH had encroached over 2.5 acres of CDA land. Moreover, audit objections were also raised against it in the DAC meeting.
“The matter falls within the domain of the enforcement directorate and planning wing of CDA and the case has been referred to the enforcement directorate for retrieval of the encroached land from SIH,” sources said adding that the hospital had been directed to submit a compliance report to the Audit director for further submission of the Federal Audit.
On the non-conforming use of a basement as a restaurant by the Silver Oaks, an apartment building located in Sector F-10 Markaz, BCS said it had served notices to the owners of the building to remove the restaurant. However, the authority said it did not receive any response from the owners.
Sources added that the building control director had given his nod for sealing the basement, but the owners had been given an additional 15 more days to comply with the CDA building bylaws.
The matter regarding the non-conforming use of the basement of Centaurus Mall also came under discussion in the DAC and CADD secretary expressed serious displeasure over the authority’s failure to take action against the establishment of a shopping centre in the basement of Centaurus Mall.
However, the CDA building control section said they had already served notices to remove Al-Fateh Shopping Mall but had yet to receive any response from the owners.
Loss of revenue
The CDA has incurred over Rs65 billion in losses owing to non-recovery land rent, encroachment and illegal constructions besides commercialisation of basements during the fiscal year 2015-16.
These facts were unearthed in the DAC meeting held recently.
The documents further reveal that CDA suffered a loss of Rs51.6 billion due to unpaid rent of land. Moreover, the authority lost Rs14.24 billion due to encroachment and illegal construction.
Moreover, due to non-recovery of fees due to the commercialisation of the basement, the authority lost Rs228.187 million in 2015-16.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 27th, 2017.
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