ISLAMABAD: A subcommittee of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat on Monday criticised the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for not compensating those whose lands have been acquired by the civic agency.

Some of the compensation claims have even been pending for decades.

The subcommittee met at Parliament House under the chairmanship of MNA Rasheed Ahmed Khan.

The committee asked Islamabad Mayor Sheikh Ansar Aziz, who also holds charge as CDA chief, and other CDA officials several questions regarding the provision of alternate plots or compensation payments to those whose lands had been acquired by the civic agency.

Committee member MNA Rana Qasim said those who were to be compensated for their land have exhausted all efforts and that the CDA is yet to clear their dues.

Some compensation claims have been pending for decades; E-12 buyers have been waiting 28 years to be allotted plots

The committee chairman said that on the one hand, the CDA is not compensating those who should be paid, on the other its officials are collaborating with property dealers who purchase the compensation claims for nominal prices and the CDA officials then allot them choice plots and earn huge profits in the process.

The committee also discussed the stalled E-12 sector where those who purchased land have been waiting to be allotted plots for 28 years. Due to a dispute with locals over built-up-property (BUP), the CDA is yet to even get possession of the land in order to develop it as a proper residential sector.

Sheikh Anser Aziz told the committee he had been holding meetings with locals in order to come up with an amicable solution.

Director Land Irfan Ullah Khan said that according to the BUP award of 1987, the CDA was to give 2,700 plots against BUP claims but the locals are demanding between 1,200 and 1,500 extra plots.

“As per existing policy and a Supreme Court judgement, we cannot give them additional benefit,” he said.

He told the committee that around Rs10 billion is owned to locals of H-16 and I-17 and that the CDA has started efforts to release the amount owed to locals of the two sectors.

The CDA chief told the committee he had taken notice of the corrupt practices in the Land Directorate and had introduced a new standard operating procedure so that plots are now allocated via balloting.

The committee directed the CDA to improve its operations regarding compensating locals whose lands were acquired.

The issue of nursery plots on Park Road, Chak Shahzad, which were cancelled by the CDA in 2011 was also discussed during the meeting. Most of the plots are still being used by those who were allotted the plots on the basis of various court orders. The committee directed the CDA to come up with a proper solution and that those formerly allotted the nursery plots should also be considered for new leases and allotments.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2017