CDA to scrutinise housing projects in federal capital

Four-member panel inspects different commercial buildings in housing societies

ISLAMABAD: As part of its efforts to clamp down on housing societies which have violated building by-laws, adhere to the master plan of the city or failed to fulfil other formalities, the top civic agency of the federal capital has decided to constitute a committee which will scrutinize all housing projects or societies built in the limits of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

In a statement on Wednesday, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) said that the committee will be headed by the Master Plan director and will include the CDA Planning and Evaluation Director, Master Plan deputy director and a representative of the Cooperative Housing Department as its member.

The four-member committee will physically visit different housing societies, examine their layout plans, compare their implementation on the ground and examine the provisions and utilisation of areas reserved for civic amenities.

The committee has been further tasked to inspect different commercial buildings in the societies for violation of building by-laws and zoning regulations.

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The committee will further examine that whether amenity plots such as school, parks, hospitals, playgrounds and graveyards have been secured or if they have been converted into residential and commercial plots by the managements of these societies.

Moreover, the committee will further examine the availability of sewerage treatment plants facility in different housing societies.

Marriage hall survives encroachment drive

Some powerful elements in the top civic agency of the capital have been found to have played a role in the construction of illegal commercial sites in the federal capital, flouting Prime Minister Imran Khan’s strict stance on such buildings.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Rawalpindi leader Ilyas Khan, who had been elected as the Union Council (UC) Nazim in Rawalpindi on a PTI ticket, allegedly owns a wedding marquee on land owned by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and earmarked as a green belt in the plans, The Express Tribune has learnt.

Despite repeated notices from the CDA, Ilyas has allegedly used his political clout to continue his illegal occupation on the strip of land on IJP Road.

CDA sources suggest that this particular strip of land, covering an area of some 10 kanals, is reportedly worth around Rs4 billion.

They added that those who built the banquet ignored CDA’s building by-laws.

CDA’s building by-laws stipulate that there must be no construction for up to 600 feet along the main road and that the area must be left vacant for a green belt. However, this rule was flouted in the construction of the banquet hall as no space was left from the footpath onwards.

The authority recently razed dozens of wedding halls in different parts of the city, but it has yet to take any action against this particular banquet hall. It has raised questions on the dubious role of the CDA and perhaps also on the kind of clout that the owner of the hall has.

The CDA, however, has issued multiple notices to the hall for the violations, but the hall’s management has ignored the warnings, sources suggested.

Moreover, the CDA building control cell failed to act decisively during the two years that it took to build the banquet hall.

As soon as the premier announced an indiscriminate action against encroachments in the federal capital, the civic agency issued notices to the hall, allegedly to show that the agency was following the premier’s orders for indiscriminate action religiously. However, not substantial action has been taken against the hall or its owner thus far.

A survey of other illegal constructions in Islamabad showed that even amongst the constructions backed by influential people, this hall is one of the few which is so far untouched.

A large banner placed adjacent to the gate of the hall shows the close affiliation between the ruling party and the owner of the hall.

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Subsequently, when The Express Tribune contacted Eden Banquet’s administration, they said that they were just working there as employees and were completely unaware of anything else.

Despite repeated attempts through phone and text messages, Ilyas could not be contacted for his comments.

Drive against by-laws violators

Meanwhile, the CDA has launched a campaign against violators of building by-laws and zoning regulations.

A statement issued by the authority said that 64 commercial buildings have been sealed during the first two days of the drive on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Building Control Directorate –I and Building Control Directorate –II have constituted four teams, while the assistant commissioners of the respective areas were leading these operations.

With additional input by DNA 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 20^th, 2020.