Model villages’ upgradation: Civic body’s inefficiency causes inordinate delays

CDA has released only 20 per cent of the funds required for completion of the projects.

ISLAMABAD:

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has dished out a mere 20 per cent of funds required to develop the federal capital’s five model villages for this fiscal year, exposing the lack of significance the civic agency has attached to the projects.

For the fiscal year 2012-13, the CDA had planned to initiate 17 different projects at an estimated cost of Rs137.591 million to improve road infrastructure and water and sanitation systems in the villages. However, the projects look unlikely to be completed by the schedule time — June 2013 — as the civic agency released only Rs27.5 million.

The task of developing these model villages, namely Humak Town, Shahzad Town, Rawal Town, Margalla Town and Farash Town, was given to the CDA informally in 1985, despite the CDA Ordinance 1960 not mandating the provision of civic amenities to such areas.

According to CDA records, the villages, barring Farash Town, comprised 16,340 houses accommodating a population of around 120,000.



As the CDA Ordinance does not provide cover to these villages except for a few areas, they are exempted from municipal taxes.

CDA financial documents available with The Express Tribune indicate that the civic agency had approved five schemes costing Rs.46.644 million to improve internal road networks in Humak Town. However, slow progress has been made on the schemes as only Rs.9.329 million were released as of the end of March.

Similarly, three projects costing Rs18.448 million were approved for drainage system improvements and car-park refurbishments in Shahzad Town, out of which only Rs.3.69 million were released.

Three schemes were allocated Rs5.378 million of a total Rs26.945 million for Margalla Town, Rs6.598 million out of Rs32.99 million were released for three projects in Farash Town, and Rs2.513 million out of Rs12.564 million were released for three projects in Rawal Town.

CDA Planning Member Mustafain Kazmi said the civic agency could not provide municipal services to these villages under the current regulations.

“We need to introduce an amendment to the CDA Ordinance to empower the CDA to provide municipal services to these villages,” Kazmi said.

Kazmi said the Planning Commission in 2002 had directed the CDA to not allocate any funds to the development of model villages as they did not fall under the civic agency’s purview.

However, Kazmi said the CDA had to take action because of increasing residential demands in these areas.

During the fiscal year 2011-12, the CDA had approved 24 development schemes worth Rs406 million. However, only Rs55 million were spent during the period.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 15^th, 2013.