RAWALPINDI, March 27: The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) plans to declare the non-commercial areas of Saddar, The Mall and Peshawar Road upto Charring Cross as ‘Bazaar Areas’.

A summary seeking a ‘no objection certificate’ for the proposed conversion has been submitted to the General Headquarters, which is yet to accord its approval.

The Pakistan People’s Party government, during its second tenure, had permitted conversion of residential areas, in the precincts of cantonment board, into commercial areas on payment of specified fees in a three-year period.

Though, a large number of people had benefited from that decision, some were left behind, probably, due to high fees fixed for conversion.

The RCB Chief executive officer (CEO), Iftikhar Mir, told this reporter that by-laws of the cantonment board would also be amended for the purpose.

He said: “The areas in question are largely commercial with minor residential holdings.”

Major beneficiaries of the new policy will be the people living in the areas from Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology to Charring Cross. These areas are primarily residential.

The CEO said the proposed decision would be beneficial both for the cantonment board and owners of properties in these areas. He contended that the RCB would benefit from the increase in revenues.

At present, he said, the RCB collected only development charges in these areas, whereas the premium went to the federal government.

However, in case of acceptance of the new policy, RCB would get both premium and development charges. The amount, thus, generated could then be used for improving municipal services in the cantonment area.

The area residents, too, faced inconvenience as they had to go to Military Estate Office for mutations, and to the RCB for municipal services. However, if things go as planned, both services will then be offered by the cantonment board, which will greatly facilitate the people, Mr Mir said.

He said the board had completed zoning of residential areas, whereas that of commercial areas was being done into high profile, medium and low profile commercial localities.

However, suspicions exist among general public that the new policy is being formulated primarily to benefit some of the serving and retired senior army officers, who own property in the area and are planning commercial ventures in future.

Some people were of the opinion that these army officers would save the rather steep fees for getting their properties declared as commercial, once the policy came into effect. In addition to this, the decision would add to the value of their properties in the area.

The cantonment board CEO, however, rejected this impression, and said the policy was not meant for any specific community, but it aimed at benefiting the public at large.