ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is all set to scrutinise on Wednesday (today) over 200 applications submitted by owners of private schools for plots on rent from the civic agency, instead of getting in auction.

The CDA, after being failed to shift private schools from residential areas, has introduced new policy to give plots to private parties on rent.

In response to advertisement, the CDA received 245 applications from across the country and now a five-member committee headed by DG Planning will meet on Wednesday to scrutinise the applications.

A CDA official said that the civic agency allots plots for government schools on subsidised rates but ideally private schools should be allotted plots after competitive process.

In 2019, CDA after holding a series of meetings with stakeholders had finalised a policy regarding private schools, proposing various steps to handle private schools particularly operating in residential areas and submitted its report in the Islamabad High Court.

It was proposed that three years should be given to private schools operating in residential areas for relocation and Montessori and daycare centres should be opened in every sector. The policy also recommended that private schools should be allowed in Zone 2, 4 and 5 on private land.

In this regard, bylaws have been formulated which have to be followed for construction of schools in these areas and CDA will facilitate the managements of such schools in obtaining NOC and in approval process. In the policy, however, there was no mention of renting out plots.

In 2008, the CDA had allotted plots to private schools but that scheme was highly dubious and scandalised. The CDA allotted 19 plots and out of them only three were declared legal by courts. Resultantly, the civic agency had to cancel allotment of 16 plots.

In that scheme, the CDA as per advertisement, was supposed to deal with only Islamabad-based schools, but it allotted plots mainly to schools operating in other cities. The CDA also entertained applications after deadline and the civic agency was also accused of allotting plots in various sectors on pick and choose basis.

CDA officials said that there are around 100 plots available, which could be given on rent lease.

In April this year, the CDA board had approved a policy to give plots to private schools on rent lease. The meeting decided that its financial model will be finalised later.

It was decided that plots will be rented out to private schools in accordance with a 100 marks formula - 20pc marks fixed for schools operating in houses and 25pc marks for schools charging Rs5,000 to Rs15,000 fee. The board had also decided that the schools will be bound not to enhance fee by more than five per cent per year.

Member planning CDA Waseem Hayat Bajwa said that the committee will scrutinise the application in its meeting on Wednesday.

He said plots will be rented out in transparent manner. The member said, as per existing regulations, there is no mention of selling out private schools plots on commercial rate.

“Therefore, we are going for rental model. The schools owners who will be given plots on rent can’t increase fee unilaterally, rather before getting plots, they will have to ink agreement with CDA and fee could not be increased beyond the set limit,” he said and added that nothing is final yet as only technical evaluation of the applications will be finalised by the committee.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2023