ISLAMABAD, Aug 9: A row between the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and housing ministry on the issue of development of new sectors in Islamabad has worsened after the former barred the latter from developing sector G-14 and G-15, a source told Dawn.

He said the subcommittee of the National Assembly standing committee on housing took up the issue and in its recent meeting, the committee directed the officials of both the CDA and the housing ministry to resolve the issue amicably within one month.

However, the CDA chairman, Kamran Lashari, told the meeting only the CDA was responsible for every sort of development in Islamabad and the ministry. "It is the CDA Ordinance 1960 which empowers the authority to develop new sectors in the Capital. 'Acquire and develop' was the basic theme on which the CDA was established," he said.

He said as all the information regarding underground sewerage lines, water connections and street light cables lie with the CDA staff, therefore, it would be more appropriate if the development of new sectors was done by the authority.

"In case, the CDA does not develop the new sectors, the other developing agencies would find it difficult to link underground sewerage system, water and electricity lines of the new sector with the existing underground networks," he added.

The official agreed that the CDA had failed to develop new sector in Islamabad during last 15 years due to acquisition problems and litigation. He said the CDA had completed the entire homework for developing seven new sectors in the Capital.

"But first we want to develop the controversial sectors like D-12 and E-12 whose land was acquired 20 years ago," he said. Mr Lashari said the CDA had sent a proposal to the federal cabinet for seeking its approval to resolve the issue of sector D-12 and E-12 by giving extra compensation to the villagers to acquire their land.

The decision in this regard would be made by the cabinet in its next meeting, he said. The CDA chairman said the authority was considering adopting a new formula for acquiring land in Islamabad under which one kanal of developed land would be given in place of eight kanals.

A representative of th housing ministry informed the committee that both the sectors, G-14 and G-15, had been acquired by his ministry and earlier the ministry wanted to develop these sectors through the CDA.

However, the CDA had demanded special quota of plots for the CDA employees and commercial plots in the new sectors. The demand of the CDA, he said, was turned down by the housing ministry as a result of which the authority had delayed the development work.

In view of inordinate delay, the housing ministry decided that these sectors should be developed by the ministry and not by the CDA. He said the ministry had awarded a contract of sector G-14 development to a private company.

However, the CDA chairman informed the committee that the authority had never demanded special quota of plots for the CDA employees and commercial plots in sector G-14.