Afghan Basti conundrum: Alternative plots to be allotted to owners

CDA directed to submit recommendations on board’s reconstitution.

ISLAMABAD:

In view of the fact that it is not possible to launch an operation against residents of Afghan Basti in Sector I-11/1 due to political pressure, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Wednesday informed a parliamentary panel that it would allot alternate plots to the affected people.

“The 250 affected people will be given residential plots in Sector I-11/2,” said CDA officials. In the last meeting the sub-committee of the National Assembly standing committee on Cabinet Secretariat had asked the CDA chairman to take steps to allocate residential plots to them.



The sub-committee directed the CDA to submit a set of recommendations for reconstituting its board to the Cabinet Division within one month.

The panel had suggested that the recommendations be submitted to the committee first and forwarded to the Cabinet Division after its approval. But as it was the sub-committee’s last meeting the proposal will be submitted to the Cabinet Division.

The meeting was chaired by MNA Hameedullah Jan Afridi. During the course of the meeting it was decided that representatives of the Planning Commission, the finance ministry, Cabinet Division, members of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and a civil society representatives would serve on the CDA board. The civil society representative would be nominated directly by the prime minister.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 7^th, 2013.