Illegal housing societies: Civic agency cautions against investment

ISLAMABAD:

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Friday warned the public against investing in an illegal housing scheme currently dolling out millions of rupees in advertisements under a “fake name”. 

The civic agency, in a press statement, said that Al-Hamra Avenue, a housing scheme, was wrongly advertising its housing venture under the name of Eden Life in Zone-V of the capital.

The authority said Al-Hamra Avenue’s request for change of name from Al-Hamra Avenue to Eden Life has not been approved. Moreover, no NOC for marketing and development work has been issued to the society, the CDA said.

“Al-Hamra Avenue Pvt Ltd has already been asked to stop their misleading marketing campaign,” the statement read.

The civic agency also warned the public against investing their “hard-earned money in the fake housing scheme”.

The CDA has also announced that apartment building projects Margalla Hills and ACE Avenue Luxury Apartments in Sector E-11 are also illegal as no NOC has been issued to them by the authority as yet.

According to the CDA housing societies directorate, there are 109 unapproved housing schemes operating within the municipal limits of the CDA.

The CDA record says that as many as 64 illegal housing schemes are currently operating in Zone-IV, 16 in Zone-II and Zone-III and 29 in Zone-V of the city. Under the CDA laws, all construction activities are banned in Zone-III — a national park— but six illegal schemes still operate there.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 29^th, 2015.