Row over territorial limits deprives RCB of Rs500m

Federal cabinet fails to adjudicate boundary between CDA, RCB

RAWALPINDI:

The longstanding issue of ownership of some 2,500 acres of land between the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) has deprived the latter of annuals revenue collection worth Rs500 million.

The land in question is located on the border between the federal capital and the garrison city and comprises residential colonies and commercial areas near Naseerabad Bokarh, Awan Town, British Homes, Postal Colony, Chak Maddad, Jhangi Syedan, Shams Colony, Dhok Babu Mehdi Khan, Dhok Paracha, Chastiaabad, Qasimabad, Awan Colony, Haji Camp, and Coca Cola Factory Motorway Chowk.

The cantonment board used to collect building plans for construction in this area, property tax apart from maintaining street lights and the sewerage system before these areas were included in the CDA after modification boundaries in 1981 and 2003.

The disputed area included 500 commercial properties, 2,600 residential units with a population of around 150,000 people.

Prior to 1981, RCB was responsible for the development of infrastructure, water supply, sewerage, building plans and collection of property tax in these areas.

However, after the demarcation of boundaries, these areas were carved out from the RCB and 'included' in the CDA. Interestingly, residents of these areas neither pay property and other taxes to CDA nor does RCB collect the same.

Residential and commercial structures in the areas are also being built without the approval of building plans from both the civic agencies. The RCB and CDA have had several meetings on the matter of overlapping boundaries.

In 2017, both the civic agencies reached the Supreme Court for the settlement of the issue. The apex court had directed the Survey of Pakistan to demarcate the boundaries and the matter was then referred to the federal cabinet in December 2018.

According to official sources, the federal cabinet has failed to adjudicate the matter in the last three years although the Survey of Pakistan had already shared its findings.

CDA sources claimed that the areas in question were part of Islamabad while RCB officials alleged these areas had been included in the federal capital by making changes in boundaries.

Another source said that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab governments have also laid claim on land straddling along the border of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

An RCB official said that the Survey of Pakistan has compiled its report on the orders of the Supreme Court and the matter was pending in the federal cabinet. He hoped the matter will soon be settled once for all.

The RCB official said that the decision of the federal cabinet would be acceptable for both the civic agencies.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 16^th, 2021.