CDA officials suspended for looking the other way

Employees charged with misconduct and inefficiency in performing their duties

ISLAMABAD: The apex civic agency of the federal capital has suspended two of its officials for alleged misconduct and inefficiency in stopping encroachment in the city.

The officials who were suspended include Capital Development Authority (CDA) Enforcement Directorate Supervisor Shahid Iqbal and Enforcement Directorate Acting supervisor Gul Taj.

They were accused of being involved in the illegal construction of a hotel in the northern strip of Sector E-11.

“These officials neither took any action to stop the construction activity nor generated any report regarding the illegal construction thus allegedly facilitated the illegal construction,” read a CDA notification of the suspension.

It added that the employees have been suspended under clause 8.05 of CDA Employees (Service) Regulations 1992.

The suspension is just part of the first phase of action against the officials with senior officials of the authority directing a proper probe into the matter so that action in light of recommendations of the inquiry committee can be taken against the accused.

The Enforcement Directorate of the CDA is the main wing of the authority which is responsible for preventing encroachment from being set up and taking action against established encroachments.

New Land Director

CDA has posted Pakistan Administrative Services Officer Nisha Ishtiaq as Land and Rehabilitation director. Ishtiaq was previously serving as the director of CDA’s law wing.

The transfer comes as the CDA embarks on implementing the newly-devised master plan of the federal capital. The authority said that they are working on ensuring the appointment of better officers in the Land and Rehabilitation Directorate so that service delivery can be improved and transparency in the system is ensured.

 Anti-encroachment drive

CDA, with the assistance of other concerned departments on Friday, demolished several illegal structures and encroachment during multiple anti-encroachment operations conducted in different parts of the city.

During the operations, teams from the Enforcement Directorate razed six animal sheds, seven illegally-constructed walls and several gates installed on state land behind Javed Market in Sector I-10/4.

Similarly, four building material depots in different parts of Sector G-8 were also removed, while an illegally-constructed room and a wood stall in Sector G-9 were also demolished by teams of the Enforcement Directorate.

During another action taken in Dhok Kak near Kak Pull, teams of Enforcement Directorate demolished two illegally constructed rooms and one boundary wall. AGENCIES

Published in The Express Tribune, November 2^nd, 2019.