ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has decided in principle that it will not acquire more land to develop new sectors.

Sources in the authority said the CDA has decided that instead, it will pay attention to developing stalled sectors.

A senior officer in the CDA told Dawn that the authority has decided not to acquire more land to develop sectors, and is “planning to convey this decision to the federal government soon.”

There are two main reasons the CDA has made this decision, he said.

“First, we are not a profit earning organisation to acquire land from people at the government/nominal rate and sell developed plots for high prices. Secondly, we have already failed to develop sectors on time on land we acquired decades ago,” he said.

He added that as a regulatory authority, the CDA will supervise construction in Islamabad and people will be encouraged to build on their land in line with regulations.

CDA spokesperson Syed Safdar Ali confirmed that although a final decision has not yet been made, the authority has decided in principle not to acquire land for a new sector.

He said attention needs to be given to stalled sectors. “We are in the process of starting development in some sectors, such as I-15, E-12, I-14, etc,” he said, adding that sectors whose award has been announced will be developed.

Islamabad’s population has risen to more than 20 million; the city is expanding through the construction of unauthorised housing units while the CDA has failed to provide affordable housing.

CDA officials Dawn spoke to said that more than 15 sectors are stalled because the authority’s negligence, resulting in an extreme shortage of affordable housing for citizens. More than 50,000 plots could be carved out easily in these sectors.

The list of stalled sectors includes E-12, where the CDA sold plots in the late 80s but has yet to give allottees possession of them.

According to the list, the other stalled sectors are: C-13, C-14, C-15, C-16, D-13, E-13, F-13, H-16, I-17, I-11, I-12, I-14, I-15, Kuri Model Village, Park Enclave II and the Chattha Bakhtawar housing scheme.

The land award for C-13, spread over 745 kanals and seven marlas, was announced in 2008 but the development of the sector is delayed by pending allotments against land-sharing and acquisition of built-up property (BUP). Its layout plan also has yet to be prepared.

Land awards for C-14, C-15, C-16, D-13, E-13 and F-13 were announced in 2008, but the authority has not completed allotments against land sharing and BUP.

CDA documents say the land awards for H-16, H-17 and I-11 were announced in 2009 but the authority has not yet fully compensated the original land owners. The awards for I-11, I-12, I-14 and I-15 were announced in 1968-69 but – other than I-14, which was partially developed – they were not developed for various reasons.

CDA officials said I-15 was launched in 2005 for middle and lower middle class residents, and is also an example of the authority’s negligence, as development on the sector has yet to begin even though the CDA has possession of the land. A total of 10,289 plots have been allotted in this sector.

Rehabilitation benefits have not been released against land and BUP, because of which development of Kuri Model Village is also pending. Development on Park Enclave II has not begun because of a land possession issue.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2019