ISLAMABAD: Differences among the top bureaucracy in the Capital Development Authority (CDA) are beginning to take a toll on key development projects in the federal capital.

Several officials in the authority have confirmed that the planning wing is not clearing the impediments in the CDA projects that include construction of Margalla Avenue, Park Enclave, Islamabad Bus Service, etc.

“The rift is probably due to internal rivalries among the bureaucrats close to the PML-N,” said an official of the CDA.

The official said: “The member planning was brought in by the previous chairman, Nadeem Hassan Asif.”

Mr Asif left the CDA in the first week of December 2013 after getting promoted to grade 22. He was replaced by the incumbent chairman, Maroof Afzal, who was the chairman of National Highway Authority (NHA) prior to this posting.

While, Mr Afzal brought in his team, all officers who came along with Mr Asif were repatriated except for Wasim Khan, the member planning, who seemed to have strong links with the present political leadership.

On the other hand, while talking to Dawn, Mr Khan denied that his department was delaying execution of important projects, adding that there were no rifts or misunderstandings with the top management of the CDA.

“There is not a single file pending in my office. But people continue to talk about such issues only because I do not work in accordance with the wishes of certain notorious elements,” he added.

Officers belonging to various departments, including the planning wing, claim that Wasim Khan did not write clear directives on the files and notes, and left issues vague, which led to delays in the projects.

“The Margalla Avenue is an important city project. Even the political leadership wants to develop this mega road, but work is being stalled because of flaws in the design,” said a senior CDA official.

The avenue is another artery going across the city, which has also been earmarked in the master plan; stretching from G.T. Road at Sangjani, up to Murree Road after Bhara Kahu.

“Even the interior minister has pointed out that Murree Road gets blocked at Lakeview and Bhara Kahu, and there were pressures from the top to get this project completed at the earliest,” the official added.

However, the meeting called to discuss plans for Margalla Avenue on Monday ended without reaching any conclusion.

Sources in the civic body said three main issues concerning the road were pointed out and all were related to the planning wing.

“As per the design, the road goes through a traditional graveyard in Shah Allah Ditta area, but the planning wing has failed to come up with any alternative route in order to avoid the graveyard,” the official added.

The other main issues with Margalla Avenue were its alignment with the service road of Sector D-12 and the plans to counter encroachments in protected forest area, after the road has been built.

“But the planning wing has not even responded to these issues,” another official in the environment wing said.

Similarly, the engineers in the CDA want a topography survey of Park Enclave.

Many flaws have been identified in the scheme; one of them is the placement of the sewerage treatment plant, which is at a higher level as compared to residences.

“Now, when the boundary wall has been completed, a survey is needed to assess the ground reality of Park Enclave. May be more plots can be carved out after the survey is conducted,” said a senior official of the engineering wing. “But the surveys are conducted by the planning wing, and they do not seem too keen on it,” he added.

Some officials in the CDA even have objections to the planned alignment of Metro Bus Service, since its route will pass over greenbelts. But the planning wing has approved the present plan prepared by Nespak, the consultants of the project.