The vanishing beauty of Islamabad has been a worrying factor for not only the denizens of the city but also a few state representatives. A bill was tabled in the lower house of the parliament on Wednesday to address this concern.
Khurram Jahangir Watto, a treasury member, proposed measures to ensure and maintain the beauty of Islamabad by putting an end to illegal possession of land and haphazard constructions.
The bill seeks preservation of the green image of the capital, which is the only planned developed city of the country by making it free from encroachment and unauthorised occupations.
In case of these violations the bill proposes “imprisonment for a term of five years and with fine which shall not be less than rupees one million or according to the quantum of loss caused to the authority.”
The bill also binds the CDA officials to remove encroachments and illegal constructions at the expense of the person responsible for them. The amount spent on cleaning up the land will be deposited in the account of the authority through a duly issued challan for the purpose.
In order to do so, it suggests some useful amendments in the Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) Ordinance, 1960.
The purpose statement of the bill holds, “Islamabad, being the capital of Pakistan, is the only planned city in the country and it was hoped that it will be free from all such problems which are being faced in other over-congested and unplanned cities of the country.” But sadly, the treasury member notes that it is not the case anymore.
Commenting on the “apathetic conduct” of CDA officials, it is mentioned in the statement of reason of the bill that no action is taken when such unauthorised activity is initiated but later on the pretext of law and order problems, such violators are being rewarded. Thus, the violation leads to further concessions in the form of plots and other facilities which is a “sheer mockery of law”.
Watto thinks that it is necessary to punish such people (civic agency officials) along with the actual violators. The bill says it is also necessary to allow ordinary persons to report such violations directly to the police.
The CDA officials or any person having information of such encroachment or unauthorised construction can report to the officer-in-charge of the concerned police station for necessary assistance. “It shall be the duty of the police to remove an encroachment, unauthorised occupation, possession or construction within 15 days of being reported,” it added.
The Supreme Court recently took suo motu action over such violations and directed the CDA officials to retrieve public lands from illegal possession. The high officials of the CDA did not avail this golden opportunity. Instead of launching a comprehensive operation, the agency silently stopped its action against the influential land mafia.
The bill suggests, “If a person-in-charge under sub-section (4) fails to act, the authority shall take disciplinary action against such a person and the cost of removal of such encroachment will be charged from his pay and allowances in addition to disciplinary proceedings under the rules.”
After three consecutive incidents of inaction on the part of the person-in-charge under subsection (4), such person shall be dismissed from service and shall be debarred from future employment under the law, it says.
As per the new bill, the person against whom action shall be taken under sub-section (7) shall be not be entitled for any allotment or lease by the CDA, as the case may be, for the lands, plots or other such facilities in future.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 28th, 2011.
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