Lawmakers urge CDA to provide substitute land for nursery owners

Subcommittee of NA panel wants policy on open auction of plots

ISLAMABAD: A panel of parliamentarians has urged the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to provide substitute land to the affected owners of nurseries and resolve other issues in consultation with representatives of the Islamabad Nurseries Welfare Association (INWA).

A sub-committee of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, headed by Nafeesa Inayatullah, Rasheed Ahmad Khan, Seema Mohiuddin Jameeli, and Farhana Qamar met at CDA headquarters on Thursday.

The sub-committee also directed CDA to devise a policy to compensate affected owners of nurseries and adjust the Islamabad-based nursery owners on a priority basis. Moreover, the civic agency was told to formulate a two-stage policy for open-auction of plots.

The subcommittee criticised the civic agency for its poor management, lack of coordination and provision of information.

Qamar asked CDA’s Planning Wing why there was such a large difference between the number of nurseries claimed by INWA and the civic agency.

CDA Member Planning Asad Mehmood Kiyani told the committee that according to official data, there were around 100 nurseries which could be adjusted in Chak Shehzad, and Sector H-10 if the authority grants four kanals each.

However, INWA President Muhammad Siddiqui told the committee that there were around 250 nurseries in the capital of which 180 were registered. Of these, 76 were located in Sector H-9/3, 30 in PWD, 20 in Pakistan Town, 17 on Rawal Road, 23 in Chak Shehzad.

Siddiqui said that a few months ago, the enforcement directorate of the CDA had launched an operation against nurseries which were operating without leases. In this regard, seven nurseries had been demolished in Chak Shehzad.

The INWA president said that they had offered the civic agency to provide these nurseries with land in Sector H-9 on rent, noting that it would become a source of revenue for the civic body. Moreover, the INWA said they would also help the civic agency to make the capital green by install 50,000 flowerpots and thousands of beautiful flowers along various roads every year.

In 2007, then CDA chairman Kamran Lashari - after the approval of CDA’s board - had leased 26 plots in Sector H-9 in view of the needs of the citizens. But this land was still vacant since the authority had yet to hand over possession to nurseries. This caused a loss of millions to CDA.

In a committee, a two-stage policy was introduced. In the first phase, only Islamabad-based nurseries would be given plots. In the second phase, an open auction would be held in which all companies associated with nurseries could bid.

Members of the committee asked that if there could be a flower market in each sector where the authority charges allottees Rs2,000 per month and the allottees sub-let their premises at Rs30,000 per month, then why could there be a nursery market?

In response, Kayani said that Section 144 had been already imposed in the city and that a complete ban on construction across capital was in effect. Hence no electricity, water of gas connections would be provided without No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from CDA.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 12^th, 2017.