August 23, 2002	Friday	Jamadi-us-Saani 13,1423

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ISLAMABAD, Aug 22: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has approached the interior ministry for making some amendments to the CDA Ordinance, 1960, to get possession of the illegally- occupied state land in the federal capital, a well-placed source told Dawn.

A meeting was held at the CDA headquarters on Thursday to discuss the summary which had been sent to the ministry for making some amendments to the ordinance, the source added.

The meeting was informed that the CDA rules and regulations needed to be amended to effectively check unauthorized construction in the capital.

The source said the authority’s law consultant had been asked to recommend necessary amendments as per the requirements of the CDA and the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration.

The source said over 300 acres belonging to the CDA were under illegal occupation and the possession of this land could not be obtained without amending the relevant ordinance.

The CDA chairman has directed the directorates concerned to prepare a contingency plan for removal of encroachments. He said unauthorized constructions on either side of GT Road, within the municipal limits of the Capital, should be surveyed and removed.

The authority has decided that legal action will be taken against those involved in such unlawful activities. It is also preparing a plan to get possession of the land being used by the locals for agriculture purpose, the source said.

The authority decided that necessary formalities for implementation of contingency plan for removal of unauthorized construction from green areas of Service Road (West) of F- 11 and G-11 sector would be completed.

The CDA chairman also said the problems like illegal possession of state land and unauthorized construction in Zone-IV and other parts of the rural areas of the ICT should be overcome.

He emphasized the need for devising an effective strategy to deal with the issue. He also underlined the need for modification of rules and regulations, and streamlining an effective system of checks, in this regard.

According to the source, land of some 300 villages, including Jabateli, Saidpur, Malpur and Bheka Syedan, had been acquired by the CDA. However, the possession of the land has not been obtained so far.

Keeping in view the Sector D-12 clash, which claimed the lives of two people last month, the CDA needed to amend its ordinance and land acquisition policy so that the genuine demands of the occupants of the acquired land could be met and such mishaps were avoided in future, the source said.

He said the landholders had asked the authority that they should be given the current market rate of their land, instead of the one fixed at the time of acquisition. Most of these lands have been acquired more than 10 years ago.

The CDA, the source said, had to pay money and give alternative plots in place of the land acquired by it. However, in most of the cases, the authority had only paid the amount, but alternative plots were not given.

The authority has also requested the interior ministry to allow it to provide alternative land to the landholders.

The source said shortage of union councils’ staff was one of the main reasons behind increasing encroachments in the rural areas of the capital.

The ICT administration is also considering reviving Rural Area Coordination Committee, comprising officials of the administration and the CDA, to check the problem.