July 9, 2003	Wednesday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 8,1424

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ISLAMABAD, July 8: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) board will decide double benefit to the landholders of Siri Saral and Pind Sangrial in its next meeting to settle the lingering sector D-12 development dispute, member administration Ghulam Dastagir Khan told Dawn here on Tuesday.

The official said the board was fully empowered to settle the land compensation cases by giving extra benefit to the landholders.

However, former chairman of the authority Mir Laiq Shah had announced a number of times that there was no provision in the land disposal policy of the authority to give extra benefit to the land owners.

The official said the issue of land compensation was being dealt with by the authority and there was no need to seek government permission in this regard.

The villagers of Siri Saral and Pind Sangrial have demanded double benefit against their land acquired by the authority. Under double benefit, the villagers demand 150 more plots as compensation. Earlier, their demand was turned down.

Meanwhile, a delegation of the villagers led by a local MNA Mian Mohammad Aslam attended a meeting of the CDA board and again submitted their demands to the board. The board members listened to their demands and decided that the next board meeting will decide whether or not to give them the double benefit.

A source in the CDA said the interior ministry had also directed the authority to immediately start development work in the sector. The source said the PC-I of the project amounting to Rs788 million was approved by the board in 1988 but the project could not be implemented due to several reasons. As a result, the estimated cost of the project escalated by Rs3.2 billion. However, recently the Executive Committee of National Economic Council has slashed down its cost by Rs2 billion.

The government has allocated a sum of Rs120 million for the development of the sector in the current fiscal year.

According to the PC-I of the project, some 3,445 residential plots would be carved out including 725 plots for the construction of flats. About 870 plots would be auctioned and the proceeds would be utilised for the development of the sector. Another official of the CDA was of the view that the revised cost was not sufficient to meet the development expenditure.

The source said the authority had already charged development charges from the owners but the amount generated from the sale of the plots and development charges was utilised for other development projects the prime example being the Convention centre. The official said the commercial plot would also be sold through an open auction.