Govt starts restructuring of CDA board

Ex-CDA chairman Kamran Lashari may be included


Iftikhar Chaudhry November 12, 2019
PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet, giving approval for restructuring of Capital Development Authority (CDA), has issued directive to give advertisement for the appointment of a managing director for the new board of the authority.

Presently, CDA Board is comprised of chairman, member finance and accounts, member administration, member planning and design, member engineering and member estate. Each member is in-charge of various directorates.

According to the federal cabinet’s decision, until a managing director was appointed, Islamabad Chief Commissioner Aamer Ali Ahmed, who also holds office of CDA chairman, will work as MD of the authority.

According to the documents seen by The Express Tribune, the federal cabinet as part of the restructuring of CDA has approved formation of a five-member board.

The members have been nominated, however their appointment was subject to security clearance, as per the cabinet decision. Ex-chairman CDA Kamran Lashari was also among the nominees. He was nominated in number of NAB cases and facing litigations due to decisions taken dueing his tenure as CDA chairman.

Other board members include Quaid-i-Azam University Vice Chancellor Muhammad Ali, Brig (retd) Nadeem Rehmatullah, Architect Nayyar Ali Dada and Architect Asghar Ali.

The interior ministry in its briefing to the federal cabinet had said that CDA should be transferred to Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation like LDA has been given under local government in Lahore.

The ministry said that giving CDA under local government will improve service delivery and governance.

Moreover, being under local government, CDA would be able to spend its funds on projects of public welfare too.

Restructuring not to affect employees

The proposed restructuring of the Capital Development Authority will not affect the employees as it is related to an administrative action by the government under enabling provisions of law. The assurance to this effect was given by CDA Chairman Amir Ali Ahmed in a meeting here with the officers of CDA and Islamabad Municipal Corporation (IMC). The officers were briefed about the broad outlines of the restructuring where by a new non-executive board would be formed in accordance with the new CDA ordinance, which would be promulgated in a few months and the principles of corporate governance. They were assured that career paths of the CDA employees would not be disturbed. The meeting continued in an open and healthy environment for nearly an hour. Queries of participants were duly responded, who were asked to make efforts for becoming agents of change. The restructured board of the CDA was already a reality, the press release added.

CDA Hospital

According to the documents available with The Express Tribune, all people of Islamabad will be able to access healthcare services at Capital Hospital, commonly known as CDA Hospital.

Presently, only CDA employees get free healthcare at the facility. The federal cabinet noted that Pims and Polyclinic had excess patient load therefore it was necessary that CDA Hospital starts serving all of the people of Islamabad.

Building plans

CDA’s campaign for effective enforcement of building bye laws and regulations is underway in the private housing societies of Islamabad, said a statement issued by the authority on Monday.

During the current drive, more than 1,100 building plans were submitted for approval to Building Control Directorate- II, CDA, and out of these 965 were approved, the statement said.

CDA said that in the first phase it was approving building plans of residences in the private housing societies. In the second phase, building plans for commercial building would be approved, it said.

According to the civic authority, approval of building plans for commercial structure would be made after issuance of notification of by-laws.

Whereas, the by-laws for commercial buildings were waiting approval by the Federal Cabinet which has yet to receive recommendations of Federal Commission for Review of Master Plan of Islamabad.

As far as residential buildings were concerned, CDA has issued notices to buildings owners in Sector E-11 over their nonconformity use and violation of by-laws.

Enforcement and implementation of these building by-laws and regulations in the private housing societies have been highly appreciated by the residents of these societies.

Resultantly, a large number of building plans are being submitted. Approximate 1,100 building plans were submitted to Building Control Directorate- II, CDA for approval and 965 building plans approved.

Furthermore, people have started identifying violators who make commercial use of residential buildings in these societies.

Building Control Directorate-II of the authority has already started legal action against violators for non-conforming use of residential area. Meanwhile on receiving complaint by the people, CDA was issuing notices to the violators in these private housing societies.

CDA would take legal action for enforcement and implementation of building by-laws and regulations in these private housing societies after expiry of the notice period.

CDA’s Building Control Directorate-II had sealed several houses on violations of building by-laws in different housing schemes situated in Zone-II, III and V in October. 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 12th, 2019.

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