May 17, 2003	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 14, 1424

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

ISLAMABAD, May 16: The UN assistant secretary general and United Nations Development Programme regional director for Asia and Pacific, Dr Hafiz A. Pasha, on Friday expressed dissatisfaction over the conditions in kutchi abadis in the capital.

At a meeting between UNDP delegation and officials of Capital Development Authority (CDA), he urged the Authority chairman Abdul Rauf to take effective steps to provide better facilities to the dwellers of these settlements.

Mr Pasha who was heading the UN delegation assured the authority for possible assistance by the UNDP to upgrade kutchi abadis in Islamabad.

The UN delegation observed that the Authority had rendered a large number of poor families ‘shelterless’ by demolishing their mud houses at different kutchi abadis.

The delegation alleged that a deputy director of the CDA’s Kutchi Abadi Cell deputy director, Shafique Ahmed, was responsible for the miseries of the poor.

The meeting was informed by the CDA officials that to overcome the problems of water and environmental pollution owing to existence of kutchi abadis in the capital, the Authority has prepared a programme for up-gradation and rehabilitation of these settlements, a spokesman for the CDA said.

He said the kutchi abadis in sector I-9/1 (Essa Nagri), I- 10/4 (Dhoke Najju), I-11/4 (Haq Bhau) and Muslim Colony are being relocated to Model Urban Shelter Project at Alipur Farash. However, the kutchi abadis in sectors G-7/1, G-7/2, G-7/3 and F- 7/4 were being upgraded at their existing locations.

The CDA, they said, had prepared PC-1 for providing infrastructure facilities to the kutchi abadis in G-7/1,2,3, F- 7/4.

The UNDP delegation also pointed out certain flaws in the project of rehabilitation of kutchi abadi inhabitants which was launched by the CDA at Alipur Farash.

APP ADDS: A three-member UNDP mission led by the organization’s regional director, Dr Pasha, visited the CDA offices here on Friday.

The delegation called on CDA chairman Abdul Rauf Chaudhry and discussed issues concerning the existing kutchi abadis in the capital.

The mission was given a briefing on different development projects started by the Authority for the kutchi abadis.