ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is going to initiate a project to fence 13 stalled residential sectors to prevent encroachments on its land.

The authority has not developed any new sectors for the last few decades, during which time land it has acquired has been encroached upon.

The CDA Development Working Party (CDA-DWP) will meet on Tuesday to discuss various development projects including the PC-I “for providing/fixing barbed wires fence, boundary pillars, warning boards in sector C-13, C-14, C-15, C-16, H-16, I-17, F-13, E-13, D-13, 1-12, E-12, Kurri and Rehara and construction of pre-cast wall between sector D-12 and D-13.”

The authority’s spokesperson Syed Safdar Ali said: “Under this project we will erect a fence to protect our land from encroachment. The project was originally started in 2014 but the desired results were not achieved. Now the revised PC-I with the same previous cost is going to be presented before the CDA-DWP.

Asked why the sectors were not developed, Mr Ali said: “This step is being taken to protect our land. As far as chronic sector development is concerned, the current management has taken serious steps in this regard.”

He said the award of a contract to develop I-15 is in its final stages, and the PC-I for another stalled sector, I-12, is going to be placed for approval in Tuesday’s CDA-DWP meeting.

Work leftover in the Park Enclave Housing Scheme is also being finalised, and development work in E-12 has already begun, he added.

“The encroachment on our acquired land is one of the major issues that impede development work. The step of fencing is a positive development and a way forward for starting development in all stalled sectors in phases,” Mr Ali said.

Islamabad residents have waited for new sectors to be developed for years, while decades of negligence by the authority have resulted in a shortage of affordable housing for citizens. As a result, living in the city has become near impossible for the middle class.

The fencing project began in 2014 for eight sectors and was to be completed in 2016, but sources said only 30pc of the work was carried out.

The revised PC-I is now being presented for approval with the addition of five more sectors, but the cost of the project remains the same.

Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2020