CDA to start work in markets soon: Chairman

Business community points out the deteriorating condition of commercial areas

ISLAMABAD: With the commercial centres of the federal capital bearing a dilapidated look with broken roads, missing facilities and poor cleanliness, the top civic authority of the city assured that it will soon start development works in the markets of the city, including carpeting of roads, repair of footpaths and restoration of street lights.

“The process of road and footpath repair will start from ICCI Road,” assured Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Amir Ali Ahmed on Friday while speaking to a delegation from the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) which called on him.

CDA has enough funds now to launch development projects, Ahmed said while exchanging views with the delegation led by ICCI President Ahmed Waheed.

ICCI Senior Vice President Tahir Abbasi and Vice President Saifur Rahman Khan said that the CDA has not undertaken any development works in local markets for years due to which the condition of markets is deteriorating rapidly.

However, they welcomed the assurances from CDA chairman on starting works in the markets of federal capital soon apart from addressing the longstanding issues of the business community and shoppers alike.

Ahmed, who also holds the charge of the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICTA) Chief Commissioner, appreciated ICCI’s ‘Go Green Islamabad’ campaign to plant a million trees in the federal capital during 2020. He assured that the ICTA and the CDA will fully cooperate with the chamber in this campaign.

He said that a team, under Additional Deputy Commissioner Waseem Ahmed has been formed to cooperate with ICCI on its campaign. He also identified various places in Islamabad where ICCI could plant trees.

ICCI President Waheed said that most of the issues of the business community are related to CDA and its cooperation was necessary to resolve them for the growth of business activities.

He said that the purpose of launching the Go Green Islamabad campaign was to support the mission of government for Clean and Green Pakistan. He said that the cooperation of CDA was necessary to make this campaign successful. He said that local markets, schools and other organisations would also be involved in this drive so that with combined efforts, Islamabad could be made greener.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 11^th, 2020.