ISLAMABAD: Upon advocacy from three Islamabad lawmakers, a parliamentary panel has directed the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines (SNGPL) to issue utility connections to all residents without requiring no-objection certificates (NOC) from the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Energy directed Iesco and SNGPL to ignore CDA’s condition of an NOC for utility connections on Tuesday while discussing a calling attention notice moved by MNA Ali Nawaz Awan.

The CDA had announced the condition last year in an attempt to discourage unauthorised construction in Islamabad. NOCs deal with building plan approvals by the authority.

The committee, headed by MNA Imran Khattak, asked the SNGPL whether they had stopped issuing new connections without an NOC from the CDA.

New rules for rural areas to be finalised within a week or so, CDA chairman says

In response, an SNGPL representative said they were issuing new connections to everyone, while an Iesco representative said the company was following the CDA letter, which cited a court ruling.

“We are not issuing new connections without a CDA NOC,” the Iesco representative said, adding that when they had defied the letter the authority had moved a contempt of court petition against them.

The committee then asked a representative of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra), who said that according to these regulations there is no provision regarding an NOC from the CDA.

The committee pressed Iesco to ignore the CDA’s letter and issue new connections to all customers.

MNA Asad Umar, pointing to the Iesco official, said: “Your administrator is Nepra, not the CDA. Follow the directive of Nepra.”

He said that over the years many illegal buildings have been constructed in the capital but the CDA did not take action on time. When they had been constructed, the authority connected new utility connections with its NOCs.

“Citizens cannot be punished for the sins of others,” the former finance minister said.

Another PTI MNA from Islamabad, Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz, also agreed with his colleagues.

The committee asked CDA Chairman Amer Ali Ahmed to explain the authority’s position. Mr Ahmed said that the CDA wrote to Iesco before he joined, but added that he would look into it.

He said: “Actually, there were no rules and regulations in place for the rural areas. We are now working on these and we will finalise new rules within a week or so.”

He said the CDA would resolve the issue of residents seeking new connections.

When asked about buildings in E-11, the chairman said he could not make commitments at this stage as the authority’s first priority is to make new rules for the rural areas.

“We will look into the issue of E-11 at a later stage,” he said.

Contrary to the CDA Ordinance 1960, the authority has never previously paid attention to construction in the rural areas and has instead restricted itself to urban areas, also known as the capital’s sectoral area. Its negligence has led to massive unauthorised construction in the rural areas.

But last year’s CDA decision has especially affected rural residents, who have been running from pillar to post trying to obtain utility connections without NOCs from the CDA. In the event that they have sought NOCs, the CDA does not have a mechanism or by-laws in place to approve the buildings, meaning that people have not been able to build on their own land because of CDA negligence.

The matter has been taken up by several standing committees and the National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior also asked the CDA a few months ago to withdraw its notification linking new utility connections to its NOCs.

Speaking to Dawn after the committee meeting, some CDA officials said the authority wrote to Iesco and SNGPL on court orders and a 2004 cabinet decision also said utility connections should not be given to buildings constructed in violation of CDA zoning regulations.

A CDA official guessed that the authority will have to place the case before the cabinet for utility connections for unauthorised buildings. However, he said there should be some sort of relief for rural residents who have been suffering while seeking connections for their homes.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2019