Panel for survey of housing societies starts working

Will go to projects to see if amenity plots have been sold out for commercial residential purposes

ISLAMABAD: The four-member committee formed by the apex civic agency for scrutinising errant use of amenity plots allocated in different private housing societies has started probing into the matter on Saturday.

The committee is surveying whether the use of amenity plots in the housing schemes aligns with the Capital Development Authority (CDA) layout plan or they are being used for residential or commercial purposes.

The committee is conducting visits of different sites for physical verification.

The committee is inspecting the utilisation of plots and areas reserved of amenities and other such mandatory facilities like mosques, schools, playgrounds, parks and graveyards as per the approved layout plan of different projects and societies. The committee is conducting visits of different sites for physical verification of these facilities of public importance.

CDA Chairman Amer Ali Ahmed has formed the committee to verify if the housing societies were actually offering these facilities, or have sold the plots to earn a few more billion rupees.

During the first three days of the survey, committee members reviewed CBR Housing Society and Aghosh I-Housing Society located in Zone V of Islamabad, survey indicated that the construction within these housing societies are not in accordance with CDA's approved layout plan.

While the amenity plots allocated for public welfare in both the housing societies do not meet with the CDA's planned criteria. As such, plots for graveyards, parks and playgrounds, health facilities and sewerage treatment plants are not in accordance with the approved layout plan of CBR Housing Society and Aghosh-I Housing Society.

The survey has revealed that CBR Housing Society currently has around 6,000 people living in 800 residential units, while in the Aghosh I - 300 units have 2,000 inhabitants. CBR Housing Society has a private school and a 100-bed hospital and two small parks besides the government school, while the Aagosh I-Housing Society lacks the facilities of public utility.

Both the housing societies have built partial commercial areas while graveyard and parks have been proposed by these housing societies in areas where the land possession is controversial.

According to the CDA by-laws, each society is to allocate two per cent of its area for graveyard, but CBR have a partial graveyard whereas, Aghosh-I have no facility for its residents. Both housing societies have an underground network of electricity, gas, water and sewerage.

The four-member committee is visiting various housing societies in Islamabad to observe the construction activities in accordance with the layout plan of these societies.

The committee will submit its report after conducting a detailed survey of all housing societies. Other members of the committee include CDA Director Programming and Evaluation, Deputy Director Master Plan, and a representative from ICT's Registrar Cooperative Housing society Department.

In addition, the committee will also inspect various projects being created in housing societies to identify violations of building by-laws. The exercise is being carryout to ensure the proper utilisation of areas and plots reserved for amenities including graveyard, schools, hospitals, parks, grounds and other urban facilities in these housing societies, so that residents of the societies could be provided all facilities within the area of their residence. 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 23^rd, 2020.