ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is planning to revise the building by-laws to allow more than one trades on a single industrial plot.However, the civic body is still at odds with the business community as the latter wanted to get permission for the commercial activities on the industrial plots.

The business community has been demanding that the CDA should allow change of trade enabling them to establish industrial units of different sectors on one plot.

“Their first demand has already been met but the decision to allow multiple trades on one plot will be taken in coordination with the business community as we do not want to impose any decision on the stakeholders,” said Maroof Afzal, the chairman of the CDA, while talking to Dawn.

The main issue hindering the progress of talks in this regard was the CDA’s willingness to have a comprehensive list of industries and trades that can be established on one plot.

“We cannot have a chemical plant and a furnace on the same spot. There has to be a correlation too,” said an official of the environment wing.

Meanwhile, the CDA has already lifted the ban on the change of trade on the industrial plots but decided to enforce a negative list of 25 industries.

The change of trade had been a serious issue in the industrial area as many people who obtained plots for any sector wanted to establish the production unit of any other sector. But that was illegal under the CDA by-laws.

“The change of trade has already been allowed but we are trying to ensure that none of the industries in the negative list is established on such plots,” Mr Afzal said.

The negative list prepared by the CDA identifies industries that create pollution, degrade local environment or are hazardous to the population.

“These industries include tanneries, petrochemicals, chemical plants etc,” said an official of the planning wing. “This list has been prepared in consultation with the Pakistan Environment Protection Agency (EPA).”

The business community has welcomed the CDA decision to allow the change of trade but wanted the decision on the reduction of the negative list at a fast track.

“Many of the issues being raised on environmental concerns are incorrect, such as the case of steel furnaces,” said Shaban Khalid, the president of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

He said the steel furnaces were already meeting the EPA standards and if there were any concerns about this industry the CDA should establish another industrial estate so that furnaces could be shifted there.

However, this demand has become a bone of contention between the CDA and the industrialists, as the civic agency has indicated that commercial activities will not be allowed on the industrial plots.

“They cannot establish showrooms, restaurants or rent the space to offices because the plot has to be under the industrial use only,” said a senior official of the CDA.

However, sources in the civic body said the conversion of industrial plot to commercial use can be allowed after changes in the by-laws.

But it will be at the payment of a significant amount to the CDA because the industrial plots have been sold at very cheap rates.