Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Despite being amended several times, no updated version is available of the modalities and procedures for developing private housing schemes in Islamabad.

The rules were first framed by the civic body in 1992 soon after the approval of Islamabad Zoning Regulations. The amended versions were again approved and published through Gazette of Pakistan notifications in 2005 and 2010.

In its meeting held on Monday, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) Board once again made changes to the rules. Now the owner of any housing society will have to show its possession on ground through proper demarcation. In the past, the land ownership and possession of a scheme’s area was verified through revenue documents and advertisements in the form of public notices in national dailies.

The board also approved reduction in the minimum right of way (row) of roads for housing schemes in Zones II and V. It approved reduction in the row from 40 feet to 30 feet in front of plots with sizes 130 square yards or 25X50.

The meeting also decided that the access row for multi-storey apartment buildings, which was previously 100 feet for apartment buildings spread over an area of 40 to 200 kanals, should be increased or decreased on the basis of traffic impact studies.

“The traffic impact study should be mandatory for processing of layout plan of the project. The minimum row should be provided to accommodate peak hour traffic. The absolute minimum row will be 50 feet wide,” the meeting decided.

The board also decided that the owners of high rise buildings will have to pay the civic body for the provision of graveyards.

Graveyards in the scheme area will be provided by the CDA according to the population of the area.

Sources privy to the development told Daily Times that such changes were being used by the officials to favour certain builders and put pressure on others who did not ‘cooperate’ with them.

“The authority should review such laws and then publish the final version. When a builder comes to the CDA, the relevant directorate provides him an old copy of the rules. After reaching an under-the-table deal with him, the same officers prepare the case by using the updated rules. They use these updated rules to provide special concessions to the private parties,” a CDA officer said.

“The private housing societies in federal capital are being regulated through two CDA directorates: the Directorate of Regional Planning and Directorate of Housing Societies. Unfortunately, the officials working in both directorates are themselves unaware of the latest modalities and procedures,” he said.

When contacted, Member Planning and Design Asad Mehboob Kiani said: “We are changing the bylaws to end anomalies. This is for improving the process of developing private housing schemes.”

He said that the rules would be updated and also sent for publication in Gazette of Pakistan to end their misuse.

Published in Daily Times, July 18th, 2017.