ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) on Tuesday partially approved a recent decision by the federal cabinet to make an amendment to the master plan of G-13 and G-14.
The cabinet a few days ago had approved a summary moved by the Ministry of Housing and Works seeking changes to the blueprint of G-13 and G-14’s mauve area for launching the Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme.
However, the cabinet had okayed the summary subject to approval by the CDA board.
But the board, which met with Chairman Amer Ali Ahmed in the chair on Tuesday, approved the summary only to the extent of a seven-acre plot of the housing ministry in the mauve area of G-13 where the housing programme is to be launched.
According to the original master plan, the mauve area is reserved for establishment of institutions and offices.
“The cabinet considered the summary dated 8th April, 2019, submitted by Ministry of Housing and Works Division and in accordance with the proposal at para 6 approved change in land use of Mauve Area of sector G-13 and G-14, subject to clearance by CDA board, from construction of office buildings of attached departments, autonomous bodies, to construct of multipurpose high-rise residential, office and commercial building by FGEHF,” the cabinet had stated.
Sources in the CDA said the board deliberated upon the decision and reached the conclusion that there was a need for making a land use change only in that area where the housing project was to be launched.
“We did not consider the case of G-14 and decided that in mauve area of G-13 permission could only be given for a specific plot where the housing project will be launched. There is no justification for allowing commercial use of the rest of mauve area,” said a member of the CDA board.
The board also endorsed another decision of the federal government, earmarking 508 kanals for the ministry of housing for another project under Naya Pakistan Housing Programme. This piece of land is located in Rawalpindi area and the CDA board decided that it should be allotted for the government’s housing programme subject to payment by the ministry of housing or the federal government.
The CDA is custodian of Islamabad’s master plan but in the case of G-13 and G-14 the housing ministry directly sent the summary to the government and got approval from the cabinet.
The sources said before sending the summary it should have been consulted with the commission currently working to review Islamabad’s master plan for the first time.
Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2019
