CDA set to revamp its planning wing

Civic authority conducts anti-encroachment drive in the federal capital

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has decided to revamp, reform and revitalize its planning wing. For this purpose, qualified technical experts and town planners will be inducted into the authority at incentivized packages for better service delivery.

This was disclosed in a briefing on reforms in the CDA which was given to the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on the Capital Development Authority (CDA) Affairs Ali Nawaz Awan.

The planning wing is considered to be the backbone of the CDA but of late it has faced staffing issues which have impacted its performance.

Realising the importance of the issue, the incumbent management of the authority has decided to introduce reforms in the planning wing.

For this purpose, a comprehensive plan has been formulated to strengthen the planning wing of the authority to improve service delivery.

The proposed reform and revamp plan will see the creation of a pyramid in the planning wing of the CDA. This will mean that the wing will move away from its previous top-heavy organizational structure, where multiple officers were present at the senior level while there was an acute shortage of officers at the operational levels.

The proposed plan suggests a reduction in redundant directorates and expansion at the town planner and technical expert levels. The proposal also envisages focussing on building control and enforcement.

There is also a recommendation to have three sections of building control which would have a set up that would streamline the disposal of pending applications.

Similarly, a monitoring and evaluation directorate will be set up which will perform the role of an enforcer.

The proposal also includes incentivized salaries for planning staff to encourage qualified technical experts to work for CDA.

Additional salary coupled with a more decentralized working environment where the planning wing will be taking care of its own financial and human resource matters.

A detailed plan with posts and organogram has been prepared and financial impacts have also been calculated.

It is expected that reform in planning wing, along with incentivized pay package, better HR and redesigning the hierarchical setup under better service delivery oriented regulations will provide relief to citizens of Islamabad.

Anti-encroachment drive

Meanwhile, the CDA conducted an anti-encroachment operation in different parts of the city on Wednesday in collaboration with the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration.

During the anti-encroachment activities, several illegal structures were demolished and state land was retrieved from alleged illegal occupants.



During an operation conducted in Sector I-14/2, the enforcement directorate of CDA vacated possession of some residential area.

Due to lack of possession, allottees had been unable to build their houses in the area.

These plots were illegally occupied by affectees of Moza Sheikhpur with the CDA claiming that these affectees had already been compensated by the authority.

Officials added that these people were further directed to approach the Land Rehabilitation Directorate of the CDA along with the relevant documents in case of any leftover claim.

Another operation was carried out in the vicinity of Sandemar Dam where a few elements were trying to encroach on state land.

During the operation, illegally constructed boundary walls on state land were demolished while the dam management was directed to ensure that the state land is not encroached on again.

Another anti-encroachment operation was carried out along the GT Road in which encroachment from Tarnol Centre Plaza to Israr Market was demolished.

During this operation 50 shops, three hotels, four kiosks, three scrapyards, four sheds and other encroachment were razed.

WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM DNA 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 28^th, 2019.