RAWALPINDI: The Punjab Housing and Urban Development Department has suggested the names of four MPAs from Punjab to the chief minister for the Rawalpindi Development Authority’s (RDA) governing body.

The chief minister will approve the names next week.

A 15-member RDA governing body will be formed after the approval of Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.

After formation of governing body, the authority will finalise decisions regarding master plan, development and improving civic facilities

The RDA governing body is comprised of three male MPAs and a female MPA, the Rawalpindi mayor, commissioner, deputy commissioner, the secretary of finance, a local government representative and that of the Housing and Urban Development Department.

The government will nominate two technical members at its discretion.

A senior RDA official told Dawn that the Punjab Housing and Urban Development Department had finalised the names of four MPAs for the RDA governing body including Ejaz Khan Jazi, Latasab Satti, Malik Taimor Masood and Momina Waheed.

“Rawalpindi Mayor Sardar Naseem will be part of the governing body even though he is from PML-N and is president of the party’s Rawalpindi chapter,” he said.

The official added that the names of two technical members had also been suggested and that the chief minister had the authority to approve the names or suggest others.

After the formation of its governing body, he said, RDA will finalise the many decisions regarding the master plan, development and improving civic facilities in residential and commercial areas under its administrative control.

Other pending decisions include increase in fee, approval of housing schemes and a commercialisation policy for urban areas, he said.

“RDA wanted to increase the fee for building plans by 60pc which will not be implemented till it is approved by the civic agency’s governing body,” he said.

The official said the governing body will likely be formed by the end of the current month and that the agenda for increasing building plan fee and the commercialisation of more than 10 roads has been finalised.

RDA has proposed that commercial activities be allowed on more than 10 roads including Morgah, Defence Road, High Court Road and New Airport Road.

“If the governing body approves the commercialisation, converting domestic units into commercial ones will be allowed after the submission of fee to RDA,” he said.

RDA will generate revenue from the commercialisation which will be utilised for development schemes.

RDA Chairman Arif Abbasi told Dawn the governing body will be completed by the end of January and that a first meeting is expected in two or three weeks.

He said he wanted to finalise decisions in many cases for which the approval of the governing body is necessary.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2019