Federal Planning Minister Asad Umar said on Wednesday that the federal government has put an end to the compulsory land acquisition in the capital territory under the CDA Act 1960.
Addressing a press conference along with Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Capital Development Authority (CDA) Affairs Ali Nawaz Awan, Asad Umar said that the CDA was given the power to acquire the land under CDA Act when Islamabad was established in 1961. However, it has become unimaginable now.
He said the land from the poor was acquired by using the power under the CDA Act and given to influential people, including politicians, civil servants and journalists.
He said that nobody can now acquire land in the federal capital using this Act. The federal minister said that the government will make payment as per market value where the acquisition was done and build-up payment was not made.
Umar said they were going to end the disparity in Islamabad’s different areas as it was divided into sectorial and non-sectorial zones.
He said that the local government Act has been finalised, and they were entering into a single regulatory regime.
Under this, he said the Islamabad Municipal Corporation (IMC) will possess all powers while CDA will act as a regulator.
The minister said they will form an autonomous local government. He said the non-sectorial or rural areas constitute half of the federal capital.
He said that an investment worth Rs1.5 billion has been done there while more tenders were being awarded.
Asad Umar said that work on streets, roads and water filtration plants was under way in rural areas while the IJP Road was being reconstructed as well.
SAPM on CDA Affairs Ali Nawaz Awan said that the IJP Road was being converted into a four-lane road from two lanes and the project will be completed by October next year.
He said that they were building the 10 Avenue, which will begin from IJP Road to Srinagar Highway while passing through Sector I-9.
Further, he said all residents of Islamabad will get health insurance of up to Rs1 million through Sehat Sahulat Card. Along with this, he added, that three hospitals having over 450 beds were being constructed in different areas of Islamabad.
He said a 50-bed hospital is being built in Barakahu, 200 beds were being added to the Polyclinic Hospital and a 200-bed hospital was being constructed in Tarnol.
The minister said Islamabad will have 19 new basic health centres and the health infrastructure in the federal capital was being transformed.
He said that the government was building a big trauma centre at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).
Asad Umar said that work on five colleges is under way while over 100 schools were being upgraded. He said that the Ghazi Barotha project to bring water to the twin cities was also in progress.
The minister said that they were going towards the restoration of the distribution system in Islamabad while the water metre system will be introduced soon.
Ali Nawaz said that the residents of Islamabad will get a 50 per cent quota in jobs from Grade-4 to Grade-15.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 4th, 2021.
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