ISLAMABAD: The cabinet on Tuesday approved a budget of Rs23 billion for the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for 2019-20 and ordered a special audit of Rs16bn utilised by the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI).

The cabinet expressed dissatisfaction over the parallel powers and jurisdictions of the CDA and MCI, which are causing confusion and a lack of responsibility among the two organisations and deterioration of civic amenities in the capital.

Of the total budget, the CDA will provide the MCI Rs3bn to meet its administrative and development expenses.

The MCI is a municipal authority established under the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Local Government Act 2015. It is headed by a major, two deputy mayors, union council chairmen and others.

The MCI is responsible for various activities previously met by the CDA, including waste management, environmental protection, some development work, water supply, sanitation, road maintenance, playgrounds, the sports directorate and all municipal services.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan told Dawn after the post-cabinet meeting presser that Prime Minister Imran Khan was not satisfied with the MCI’s performance and emphasised the need to provide the people of Islamabad better civic facilities.

The MCI is currently headed by Major Sheikh Anser Aziz, who is said to be a loyalist of the main opposition PML-N. He was elected Islamabad’s first mayor under the last PML-N government, and later given dual charge as CDA chairman.

A source in the government said the government is considering wrapping up the local government system in Islamabad to avoid confusion and parallel administrative and municipal affairs by the CDA and the MCI. The MCI’s five-year term will end in 2021.

The source said the housing ministry has also suggested to the cabinet that all of Islamabad’s municipal responsibilities should be handed over to the CDA.

Ms Awan said the cabinet also directed CDA heads to amend the outdated Islamabad master plan, which was prepared in 1960 for a smaller city of that time.

However, a senior CDA official said the master plan was not discussed in the cabinet meeting because the CDA is already working on it and it will be revamped within Mr Khan’s stipulated timeframe.

Ms Awan said the prime minister also emphasised the need to revive the scenic beauty and cleanliness of the capital, and said the authority must stop the misuse of greenbelts that have been encroached on by many.

The cabinet meeting was told that the MCI has spent Rs2bn on cleanliness and electricity for streetlights. To this, the prime minister directed the concerned authority to make a comprehensive plan on how to curtail this expenditure.

He also asked to confine the MCI to maintenance of the city, while other responsibilities such as water supply, municipal services, playgrounds, streetlights and so on should be given to the CDA.

Mr Khan was of the view that Rs16bn has been given to the MCI since its inception and it should be audited because the corporation had failed to deliver and keep the city clean.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2019