ISLAMABAD: A major portion of the 3,550 kanals of land owned by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) along the G.T. Road has been encroached on but the civic agency is yet to take action to retrieve the land worth billions of rupees.

A new survey conducted by CDA’s Planning Wing points out that other than land grabbers, several petrol pumps leased out by the National Highway Authority (NHA) are also encroaching on CDA land.

Officials in the CDA told Dawn that the civic agency had acquired the 3,550 kanals of land on both sides of G.T. Road starting from the Daewoo bus terminal near EMI College to the Nicholson Monument in 1967.

The land is on both sides of the road, after the right of way which is owned by the NHA.

“The right of way of G.T. Road is owned by NHA and our land is after the right of way, on either side of the road,” a CDA officer explained.

According to Planning Wing survey, several petrol pumps leased out by NHA may also be encroaching on CDA land

A letter from the CDA director Planning Wing dated Oct 27, 2017 which is addressed to CDA Chairman Sheikh Anser Aziz, director enforcement and other concerned officers, seeks action to retrieve the state land.

The land falls in mouza Dhoke Jando, Bhadana Khurd, Sangjani, Saria Kharbooza, Tarnol and Jhangi Sayedan.

CDA officials said that after the construction of the New Islamabad Airport, the prices of land in the said area has witnessed massive increase and that the CDA can earn huge revenues from auctioning the land after retrieving it from encroachers.

CDA officials said there are no demarcations on the CDA land which gives a chance for encroachers to take over un-attended state land.

They said the negligence has resulted in the establishment of petrol pumps, bus stations, private mechanical and electrical works, hardware shops and hotels. The officials said the area is a “goldmine” for some corrupt officials of the Enforcement Directorate who receive monthly money from the encroachers.

Other official Dawn spoke to say some petrol pumps the land for which was leased by the NHS on its right of way are also encroaching on the CDA land, which is denied by the NHA.

An official letter written after the Planning Wing’s survey last month says of G-15: “There are two stations, namely Ali CNG & Go CNG, located almost opposite to each other, leased by NHA. The overall distance between the rear boundary walls of these stations, including berms, road [and ]green belt, is 342 feet, whereas, generally the NHA’s G.T. road and right of way is about 220 feet, after which is 200 feet CDA’s land on both sides of G.T. road. This position depicts that about 122 feet CDA’s land has been encroached by either one or both these stations leased out by NHA.”

The survey points to several other examples including encroachments near Tarnol police station, F-15 including CNG stations and that either one or all three stations- including PSP, Caltex and Pintoo CNG – which were also leased land by NHA may be encroaching on about 123 or 124 feet of CDA land.

CDA officials say most of the CNG stations along the road were established a decade ago and that if the NHA has leased out CDA land, this could not have been done without the involvement of CDA officials as the NHA did not lease its land for commercial purposes without a no-objection letter from the civic agency.

“This is a big scam and the matter should be referred to the Federal Investigation Agency for proper investigation,” a CDA official said.

When asked, NHS spokesperson Kashif Zaman said the right of way of G.T. Road is very clear and that there is no justification for saying the NHA leased CDA land.

“The right of way has a fixed width and we never allowed anyone [we leased our land to] to use the land beyond that,” he said adding that in case CDA had issued with the NHA, they should take it up with the authority.

CDA spokesperson Mazhar Hussein said the authority will be launching a massive anti-encroachment operation in the said area.

“I do agree that our land has been encroached on along the G.T. Road but the current management has been adopting a strict policy regarding encroachment,” he said, adding that the civic agency will plead for joint demarcation in case there is confusion over CDA and NHA boundaries.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2017