CDA to create wing to process building plans

Urban infrastructure section will also liaise with IMC

ISLAMABAD:

In line with the policy of the federal government to spur construction activities, the apex civic authority of the city has decided to set up a new department which will be dedicated to processing building plans.

This task previously lay with the building control and planning sections.

Officials of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) said that during a meeting of the authority’s board at its headquarters on Wednesday, the authority has principally approved the establishment of the Directorate of Urban Infrastructure Development in the authority. Apart from approving building plans, the directorate will liaise with the relevant departments of the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC).

Further, to encourage the construction sector in the city, the CDA’s board has decided to facilitate developers with an insurance guarantee or mortgage for the scalable area in place of bank guarantee.

This demand had surfaced during a meeting with representatives of the construction sector before Eidul Azha.

Moreover, officials said that the authority had considered the request from owners of some private buildings but it has decided not to accede to them.

Rather, the authority has advised building owners to adhere to the new building regulations and to pay their dues accordingly.

The CDA board further approved a policy for the establishment of bus stations in the city. However, this policy will be subject to the approval of the Islamabad Transport Authority.

Earlier, the authority had decided to setup a dedicated facilitation desk for all those who had bought plots in the recent Blue Area Vision auction.

Anti-encroachment drive

The CDA on Wednesday announced that it will launch a special drive to target encroachments in the city where structures had been built beyond their allotted space.

CDA officials said that during the drive, obstructions built on roads, streets hampering vehicular and pedestrian traffic will be demolished.

Barbed wires and fences erected around buildings, car sheds, parking, security apparatus, lawns, gardens, animals, birds cages, electric generators placed beyond plot lines and encroachment on green belts and open spaces will be targeted, they said.

Moreover, illegal occupation of land in front of buildings, including high-rises, commercial, industrial, institutional, government building, residential houses and government residences etc in the sectoral areas of Islamabad will be targeted.

The CDA has written to all relevant departments of the authority including the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration, the Islamabad Police, the IMC and other departments.

This operation, officials said, will commence from Thursday.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 6^th, 2020.