ISLAMABAD: The chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has officially opposed the transfer of assets to the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI), while the transfer and posting of employees has already been a point of contention between both organisations for some time.

The MCI’s parent ministry, the Ministry of Interior, on July 16 notified 71 CDA properties that were to be utilised and supervised by the MCI. These properties include the authority’s G-6 building that houses the mayor’s office, F-9 Park, the F-9 Citizen’s Club, Ladies Club, the Shakarparian picnic area and Lake View Park, as well as vehicles and other assets.

But, sources said, CDA Chairman Ishrat Ali wrote to the Ministry of Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) – the CDA’s parent ministry – on July 26, opposing the manner in which the CDA’s assets have been or are going to be transferred to the MCI.

He asked the CADD secretary to discuss with the interior secretary the withdrawal of the interior ministry’s July 16 notification.

The CDA chairman’s letter, which is available with Dawn, said the MCI was established in 2016, after which some functions of the CDA – municipal and otherwise – were transferred to the MCI and some formations and directorates of the CDA were placed under the MCI’s administrative control.

“Some formations and functions were however, declared as partial i.e. to be administered by both CDA and MCI,” the letter stated. “In this regard the CADD issued Office Order bearing number F.6/15/2016-CDA-II dated 22-06-2016 followed by Ministry of Interior notification dated 06-01-2017.”

Now, the CDA chairman wrote, the interior ministry has issued an official memo (OM) dated July 17 and endorsed a list of CDA assets and properties to be handed over to the MCI that was signed by the mayor and former CDA chairman on May 29.

The letter argued that the aforementioned list was prepared and signed without taking on board all the stakeholders or adopting due process as required by the CDA Ordinance and the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act.

“The list and subsequent issuance of referred OM clearly reflects the haste and lack of proper process followed as majority of assets and properties detailed in the list do not even correlate to the functions of the corporation as specified in third schedule of local government act,” the letter said.

It added that many assets and properties appeared to be irrelevant to the functions performed by the MCI. The assets and properties have been built by the CDA over the years through its own sources and are required by the authority to discharge its functions.

“The transfers of all those formations and assets/properties to MCI which does not even fall within its assigned functions and responsibilities is not justified and requires a comprehensive review by the quarter concerned,” it stated.

In his letter, the chairman said the July 16 notification had caused unrest among CDA employees and led to further overlapping and confusion regarding the functions of the CDA and MCI.

“In the light of the above, it is requested to kindly take up the matter with the Ministry of Interior to withdraw referred OM dated July 16 and the list dated 29 May, 2018,” the letter said, adding that the distribution of assets and properties may be dealt with as per the CDA Ordinance and sections 73, 127, 128 and 130 of the ICT Local Government Act.

A total of 49 directorates – 23 fully and 26 partially – were devolved to the MCI after the local government was formed.

When asked about the chairman’s letter CDA and MCI spokesperson Malik Saleem, whose directorate has also been partially devolved to the MCI, said he had no knowledge of the letter in question.

Sources said that the CDA chairman and Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz met the other day to discuss the issue of the transfer of employees and assets, and the CDA chairman expressed his best wishes for the MCI.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2018