ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) Board on Tuesday approved a move to shift several plots allotted to government departments and private universities from Kuri to Sector I-17 in light of its joint venture to develop 10,000 kanal of land in the area.

The decision was taken in light of a joint venture of the Defence Housing Authority and the Capital Development Authority for the development of 10,000 kanal in Kuri – a project that impacted several plots allotted to various departments and private universities. As per the agreement, the CDA will get 55pc of the developed plots while the DHA will get 45pc plots.

The plots allotted to several bodies, including the Federal Investigation Agency, were affected by the JV, prompting the CDA to shift them to the ‘institutional sector’ I-17.

In 2018, the CDA decided to allot the entire sector (7,344 kanal) to the army-run National University of Medical Sciences (Nums) to set up a medical city against a tentative cost of Rs14 billion.

Civic body decides e-balloting for C-14 to be held next month

The deal was not executed as Nums could only deposit partial payment and the CDA allotted it a piece of land against the payment made by Nums. The remaining land was decided to be used for some other purpose. The board which met on Tuesday, with Chairman Muhammad Ali Randhawa, in the chair approved the shifting of plots/land of the affected institutions from Kuri to Sector I-17.

The CDA board also discussed the ‘geospatial technology project’ of the planning wing, which was started a couple of years ago to address encroachments on the CDA land, the unregulated growth of informal settlements, and challenges posed by urban sprawl. Under this project, the CDA was supposed to work on facilities with an emphasis on e-governance, automation and digitisation, as well as the IT infrastructure.

During the meeting, sources said that the planning member said that this project was very important for the CDA and the planning wing and its term should be extended. The member also stated that this project was of a technical nature and it should remain part of the planning wing.

According to sources, the member technology pleaded that most of the functions of this project came under his wing. The CDA chairman, however, asked both members to sit with the administration member and prepare a viable working paper for the next meeting.

The board also decided to conduct e-balloting of the Sector C-14 plots next month and for this purpose, the board approved the renewal of the CDA-Nadra agreement. Meanwhile, the CDA board also approved the reorganisation of the CDA Enforcement Wing and Security Directorate.

During the meeting, it was also decided to allocate space for the Smart Islamabad Initiative at the Jinnah Convention Center. The meeting also deliberated on regulations for establishing electric vehicle (EV) charging points at existing and new fuel stations in Islamabad. It was decided that consultations and feedback would be sought from all stakeholders, ensuring the alignment of these regulations with the federal government’s policy. The chairman also directed the CDA to initiate the process of shifting CDA’s transport fleet to electric vehicles. Similarly, the CDA board also approved the hiring of consultants under Rule 42(f) for the Khayaban-e-Iqbal signal-free corridor project.

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2024