ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has finally decided to develop the neglected I-14, I-15 and I-16 sectors.

The authority has decided to complete the documentation process for I-15, which has not been developed at all, within three months in order to award a development contract. In addition, the partially developed I-14 and I-16 sectors will be provided complete infrastructure and services.

Commercial plots in these sectors will be auctioned and the income generated will be spent on development work in these sectors, with just surplus revenue going to other CDA expenses.

I-15 has never been developed although CDA has possession of more than 90pc of the land, while I-14, I-16 lack essential infrastructure, services

These decisions were made during a visit by CDA Chairman Amer Ali Ahmad to these areas.

I-14 has serious access problems and services issues, with dilapidated roads and barely-available utilities, CDA spokesperson Syed Safdar Ali said in a statement on Sunday.

Access to I-16 is also unusable, and a contract has been pending for years due to issues with funding. He said the chairman has now directed the finance wing to allocate Rs50 million to this end immediately.

The spokesperson said to commence development work this week, and the director sanitation has been asked to make temporary solid waste disposal arrangements in these areas until proper arrangements are secured.

It was also decided to assess services missing from I-14 and I-16 under a maintenance programme; and the necessary assessment and planning should be completed within a month.

The I sectors were designed to provide low-income housing and have been stalled for years owing to negligence by the CDA. Successive CDA managements have claimed a number of reasons for their lack of interest in developing these areas.

I-15 was designed exclusively for low-income residents in 2005. It has 10,289 plots and the CDA has taken possession of more than 90pc of the sector’s land, but has not begun developing the sector. The authority did allocate Rs1 billion to develop I-15 in the 2018-19 fiscal year budget, but work in this regard was not started.

In contrast I-14 and I-16 are almost developed, but residents in both sectors face sanitation problems, insufficient utility services and dilapidated roads.

“It seems these sectors are not part of Islamabad. Here in I-14, we do not have sufficient electricity poles, there is no concept of water connections, no streetlights, no proper footpaths, no parks, no sewerage system and no schools, and residents also suffer due to dilapidated roads,” said resident Malik Ameer.

He said the entrance to the sector is also narrow, and the access road has been widely encroached upon on either side.

Mr Ahmad, who is also the chief commissioner, admitted that people allotted land in the three sectors were not given the facilities they were promised.

“We have decided to facilitate the residents of I-14 and I-16 while soon we will start development work in I-15,” he said.

Mr Ahmad also said that he has directed the concerned formation of the authority that the sale of commercial plots in a sector will only be meant for the development of that sector. He added that commercial plots in I-14 will be put on sale in an upcoming auction.

Asked about the fate of other stalled sectors, such as I-12 and E-12, he said he had a plan to start developing the stalled sectors in phases.

“I have a proper plan about stalled sectors, in the upcoming few months people will see some positive developments,” he said.

Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2019