ISLAMABAD, Aug 2: Army engineers will conduct a survey of the I-14 sector where development work had been stopped for the last over 10 years due to alleged irregularities and hurdles in acquisition of land, a source in the Capital Development Authority (CDA) told Dawn.

The decision to acquire the assistance of army engineers to evaluate the work carried out in the sector and investigate the alleged irregularities, was taken at a meeting, which was presided over by CDA chairman Chaudhry Abdul Rauf.

The source said the development of the sector was initiated in 1993, but was stopped after three years due to allegations of irregularities of Rs1.247 million in the development work. The CDA had initiated an inquiry into the matter in 1999. However, even after a lapse of four years, it has not been completed, the source said.

The estimated cost of sector I-14 development project was stated to be Rs565.893 million and it was to be completed within three years.

The source said the defunct Army Monitoring Team (AMT) had detected discrepancies in levelling of the ground of the sector and the case was referred to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for further investigation.

“We have told the CDA high-ups that first a survey should be conducted to get first-hand information about the present position of the under-developed sector and then we will resume development work,” an official of the authority told Dawn.

The official said 50 per cent work on the main road, 25 per cent work on service roads and 15 per cent on heavy vehicular road had been completed in the sector.

He said non-acquisition of the land from landowners was stated to be the main reason for the delay in the construction of roads.

In I-14 sector, Rs60 million would be spent on construction of roads, Rs23.359 million on sewerage system and Rs5 million on water supply system in the current year.

A source told Dawn that the cost of development had also escalated by 30 per cent due to the delay.

However, the CDA chairman has directed the officials concerned to restrict contractors from enhancing the cost of the project.

The PC-I of the sector was approved in 1994-95, but due to several reasons, including financial constraints and lack of cooperation of villagers of the area, the projects could not be commissioned.