ISLAMABAD, July 11: The interior ministry has asked the government to release Rs4 billion outstanding dues to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) payable by different government departments on account of maintenance.

Interior Minister Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat said this while talking to the reporters after ‘Face the Press’ programme at a local hotel on Friday.

“If this money is given to the authority, we can bring drastic changes in Islamabad to facilitate the people,” he said. He agreed that the authority had been demanding the amount for the last many years but it was cutting no ice with the government.

However, now the government has expressed its willingness to pay the dues, he added.

The minister said the authority had spent the money on maintenance of government buildings, payment of utility bills of government departments and mega development projects initiated under the instructions of the government.

“The CDA alone cannot recover the outstanding dues from these government departments, therefore, it has sought the ministry’s help for this purpose,” the minister said. The authority is in dire straits these days and if the outstanding dues are recovered, it can stand on its own feet, he further said.

According to a data compiled by the authority, about 42 main government departments and their buildings including the defunct chief executive secretariat, Wapda, PTCL, Kashmir House, Balochistan House, Sindh House, Punjab House, Frontier House, Foreign Office and Pak Secretariat are defaulters of over Rs1 billion.

A source in the authority said this huge amount was due under property tax, water tax and other municipal taxes. However, there are many other departments who have to pay the dues. The CDA has decided to serve notices on these government departments in the near future, the source added.

According to the data, Wapda has to pay Rs48.331 million; Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), Rs16.241 million; Sui Gas Department, Rs2.363 million; National Bank of Pakistan, Rs3.014 million; Prime Minister House, Rs1.778 million; chief executive commission, Rs1.506 million; cabinet building, Rs1.912 million; PM Secretariat complex, Rs1.636 million; Punjab House, Rs1.132 million; Sindh House, Rs0.319 million; Balochistan House, Rs0.126 million; Frontier House, Rs0.348 million; Kashmir House, Rs0.059 million; Pak PWD head office, G-9, Rs1.909 million; police station Pak Secretariat, Rs0.079 million, Export Advisory Cell, Rs0.082 million; State Bank of Pakistan, Rs0.028 million; National Library Project, Rs0.111 million, T&T exchange, F-5 sector, Rs0.051 million; communication building bock-B Pak Secretariat, Rs0.246 million; Broadcasting House, Rs0.106 million; PAEC K-Block, Rs0.011 million; Ghazi Ilumuddin Hostel, Rs0.451 million; female officer hostel, Rs0.476 million; NARC main complex, Rs0.459 million; Pakistan Engineering Council, Rs0.045 million; Wapda grid station-5, Rs0.790 million; Wapda grid station, Bhara Kahu, Rs0.391 million; officer rest house Foreign Office, Rs0.025 million; 108-family suit Pak PWD, Rs1.258 million; AJK Council Secretariat, Rs0.033 million; Foreign Training Academy, F-5, Rs 0.054 million; 21-family suits Pak PWD Rs0.126 million; 72-family suits PWD, Rs0.486 million; Pak Secretariat Phase I-II, Rs1.238 million; Federal Model Colleges, Islamabad, Rs 0.606 million; federal model schools, Rs0.131 million; National Institute of Technical Education, Rs0.024 million; Polytechnic Institute of Girls, H-8, Rs0.050 million and Chumri type hostel, G-8, Rs0.468 million.