Better usage of agro farms: Strict enforcement of law stressed

Officials say it is a little late as large structures have already been erected on farmlands.

ISLAMABAD:

Strict enforcement of law and no relaxation to violators could help the Capital Development Authority (CDA) in better management of the agro-farms.

These recommendations have been made by CDA’s inspection commission formed on the directions of the Supreme Court to remove violations in agro-farms.

A member of the commission told The Express Tribune on Friday that with the passage of time and increasing demand of farmland, CDA relaxed its rules as far as the expansion of covered area is concerned but this was being exploited by the allottees.

He said that during the inspection, it was observed that huge structures have been erected by hundreds of the agro farm owners taking advantage of the “perspective view”, which is the relaxation in CDA rules for construction on covered areas. “To use the farmland for residential purposes is against the spirit of the agro farms scheme,” a senior official of civic body’s Building Control Section (BCS) said, adding that at present the land of the agro farms is emerging on the pattern of the residential sectors.

The committee has also recommended that the staff deputed at the agro farms should be allowed to regularly monitor their usage.

“The basic purpose of the land use was abandoned after the prices of the farmland shot up. It is no more feasible for them to cultivate fruits and vegetables,” he said.

However, to discourage such trends, the commission members also suggested that “perspective view” be kept as simple and the area be curtailed to the limits.

The recommendations, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, stated that the supply of fruits and vegetable to the market could be ensured by constituting a committee that would monitor the contribution made by all farm owners.

Discrepancies could then be accounted for by inquiring the relevant owners.

“It is already very late; it has to be decided at a proper forum as to how the old cases can be dealt with.

The approval of covered areas for many of the farms have been given and huge structures have already been constructed so the future course of action should be decided as early as possible,” said an official.

The apex court in a suo motu case had asked chairman CDA to force the influential owners of the agro farms to remove violations from the scheme as per CDA bylaws.

The civic agency was also directed to submit a complete report on the status of around 600 agro farms.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 12^th, 2011.