Findings challenged: Agro-farm owners seek plots’ survey afresh

Only 10 people submit fines after final notice.

ISLAMABAD:

In the latest development in an ongoing tussle between owners of agricultural farms and the Capital Development Authority’s (CDA), the majority of violators have challenged the findings of a recent survey carried out by the authority to determine violations of the terms and conditions of the plots’ allotment.

In light of the survey’s findings, CDA had served show-cause notices to owners of 82 agro-farms which are completely undeveloped to this day. The owners were asked to pay fines for not developing their agro-plots, failing which the allotment of their plots would be cancelled through final show-cause notices.

“Interestingly, only 10 owners submitted fines amounting to Rs0.85 million, while the remaining 72 contested the findings of the survey contending their plots were either completely or partially developed and not completely undeveloped, as claimed by the authority,” said a senior officer of the CDA, requesting his name be withheld. The owners claimed that their plots were not surveyed properly by the authority and requested for another survey, he added.

CDA had submitted the report to the Supreme Court on March 21, which had ordered the survey. Officials informed the bench that final show-cause notices had been served to owners of undeveloped agro-farms warning them to submit fines at the rate of Rs30,000 per acre. The final ultimatum will appear in newspapers on Friday, warning agro-farm owners to pay up within a week if they want to retain ownership of their plots, according to a CDA official.



When contacted, CDA Member Estate Shaista Sohail said a number of owners have contested the findings of CDA and have requested for a fresh survey of their farmhouses. “It’s unfair to contest the findings of the survey; it’s just a dilly-dallying tactic. The CDA team compiled the report after carrying out a hectic exercise involving on-spot visits to 498 agro farms,” she said.

Despite owners’ reservations the authority had served final notice (reminder) for submission of fines for non-development of agro-farm plots, Sohail added.

“If the owners of undeveloped agro-farms fail to comply with the final notice, their plots will be cancelled without further notice in light of the Supreme Court’s directive,” stated the member estate.

“For partially developed and undeveloped agro-farm owners CDA will organise a workshop to educate them how to earn money by planting fruits and vegetables.”

According to the report, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, the agro-farm plots are located in various agro-farming schemes in and around the capital city, namely Orchard Scheme Murree Road, Orchard Scheme H-9, Poultry and Vegetable Scheme Murree Road, P&V Scheme Park Road Chak Shahzad, P&V Scheme Tarlai, P&V Scheme Tarlai Extension, P&V Sehana Extension, and P&V Scheme Kahuta Road.

The report was compiled following a survey of 498 farmhouses was jointly carried out by the Directorate of Estate Management-II and the Building Control Section.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th, 2013.