PESHAWAR, June 22: The district council on Wednesday approved by-laws of the land disposal policy under which the discretionary quota for plots’ allotment of the governor, the chief minister and ministers had been abolished.

The council decided to rename the City Development and Municipal Department as the City District Development Authority (CDDA).

The by-laws were tabled before the council three months ago. The council had earlier rejected them.

A committee was constituted under the chairmanship of Sirajul Haq Yousafzai, which examined it and presented its final draft at the council’s session on Wednesday presided over by convener Dr Iqbal Khalil.

According to the amended laws, lease would be approved by a board of governors instead of the CDDA. If the need arises for incorporating an amendment to the laws, the board of governors would recommend it. However, the final approval would be accorded by the council.

Nazims of respective union councils would act as chairmen of the auction committee. Under the amended laws, construction of hostels had been banned on the land meant for building of educational institutions.

Likewise, construction of colleges and universities had been banned on the plots reserved for schools. Neither construction of schools nor madressahs would be allowed on the land reserved for mosques.

The old formula required for restoration of plots cancelled 10 years ago had been done away with and the allottee would be allowed to move applications for its restoration within a period of three months. The department would include all such applications in the auction, the new laws say.

Charity organizations would be granted plots for construction of educational institutions through ballot instead of auction on concessional rates. However, plots allotted to such organizations could not be transferred in someone else’s name.

The by-laws say that 25 per cent quota each for community and public sector schools would be reserved, while the share of construction of private schools would be 50 per cent.

Furthermore, a quota of 60 per cent would be reserved for the establishment of private medical centres, while the quota for charity and public sector medical facilities would be 40 per cent.

Land would be allotted on lease for the construction of gymnasiums, art galleries and recreational parks through open auction. Faculty of law, medical and engineering would be given quota in the new policy.

Any institution or individual would be eligible for one plot at one time.

An amount at the rate of 25 per cent would be deducted from any institution wishing to cancel its plots and if the cancellation is requested after the construction, then building would be auctioned.

Under the new policy, all recipients of plots would be required to pay a transfer fee at uniformed rates. Any mistake made in the allotment of plots would be redressed accordingly.