ISLAMABAD: The capital’s civic agency has formed a nine-member committee to make amendments to the Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) Ordinance of 1960 to ensure that land acquisition is carried out at market rates.

The proposed amendments will bind the CDA to pay compensation to people whose land had been acquired, in accordance with market value that will be determined by an assessment committee.

In light of the decision taken by the federal cabinet in November last year, CDA was also barred from making more compulsory land acquisitions.

According to documents, seen by Dawn, CDA member estate Naveed Ilahi will head the committee, which also includes the civic agency’s director general (law), deputy financial adviser, director urban planning, director regional planning, director master plan, director land, assistant legal adviser and CDA deputy commissioner.

Move a step towards implementing cabinet orders, which also barred agency from further compulsory land acquisition

The committee will finalise a bill after proposing changes to the CDA ordinance, which will be presented before the parliament for final approval.

According to documents, changes will be made to sections 2(k), 12(2)(g) and 32-A of the CDA ordinance.

Source said some of the decisions taken by the federal cabinet could not be implemented until the CDA ordinance was amended. Therefore, the civic agency will finalise amendments to the law before sending it to parliament for approval.

Insiders said the CDA’s law wing had prepared a draft-bill that would be discussed by the committee in a meeting, scheduled to be held tomorrow (Wednesday).

During the same meeting, the cabinet had directed for the development of sector E-12, which was acquired in the 1980s. In 1989, CDA had auctioned plots to over 4,000 citizens, mainly government officials but despite the passage of 32 years, this sector was not developed.

Sources said that many of those who were issued allotment letters had already passed away while waiting to have their promised plots.

Another reason the CDA failed to develop the sector is because it has not been able to obtain possession of land from local landlords.

However, a CDA officer told Dawn that the issue of the lack of development in sector E-12 would be resolved as CDA had already the awarded contract for its development and work was underway.

The officer said that the longstanding dispute between local villagers in E-12 and CDA was also nearing a settlement as CDA had recently allotted over 150 plots to villagers through balloting and soon, the remaining villagers will also be allotted plots, which will speed up development work on the sector.

The cabinet had also directed CDA to announce built-up property award of pending six acquired sectors that include D,13, E-13, F-13, C-13, C-16, 1-17, and H-16. These sectors were acquired by CDA back in 2008 and 2009, but their built-up property awards are yet to be announced.

Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2022