ISLAMABAD: The city managers are expecting to fetch Rs170 billion from their two new housing schemes - Orchard View Enclave and Smart Apartment Scheme.

Orchard View Enlace has been planned in Zone IV near Margalla Town while Smart View Apartment Scheme will be set up in E-11 (Margalla Retreat).

The orchard view scheme has 893 residential, commercial plots and 12 apartment blocks. According to CDA officials, the civic agency will sold out 75pc of these plots and apartments to overseas Pakistanis and the reaming 25pc will be available for purchase by locals.

The officials said that in case the number of applicants exceeded, a balloting will be held. This scheme will be developed on 1487 kanals which the CDA had acquired decades ago, but was lying unattended.

Official says 75pc of plots, apartments in Orchard View Enclave and Smart View Apartment Scheme will be sold to expats

Recently, the CDA board approved a summary of the planning wing to launch the housing scheme. The board was told that as per the report of Lands Directorate, Mouza Poona Faqeeran was acquired in 1969 and still several pockets of the acquired land were lying unattended, which could be encroached.

Furthermore, the board was told that Korang River was a physical feature located between the orchard scheme and land allotted to PARC. However, the right of way of the river had been encroached at different locations.

“To protect CDA land from encroachments, promote environmentally friendly development and generate revenue, a housing scheme namely “Orchard View Enclave” has been planned for overseas Pakistanis in the area while keeping the ROW of Kurang River between Orchard Scheme/Margalla Town (Phase-II) and PARC as 300 feet,” the summary presented to the board stated.

The CDA board gave the go-ahead to the planning wing to launch the scheme. An official of the CDA said the civic agency could generate around Rs100 billion from this scheme. He said such schemes should also be launched on CDA’s land under illegal possession of people or encroached upon.

Meanwhile, the board also approved the smart apartment project to be established E-11. This scheme will have 1000 apartments.

The officials said because of their locations, plots and apartments in these two housing schemes would easily be sold out. When contacted, Director General Planning Arshad Chohan said the board had approved both the schemes and soon the civic agency float an advertisement seeking applications from overseas Pakistanis and the local people.

He said on the direction of the CDA chairman, the planning wing was paying special attention to unattended CDA land and working to finalise other projects as well.

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2024