Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) Board on Friday approved a summary, which will bar the allotment of government residences to employees who have their own houses or who have already been allotted plots in Islamabad.

The summary was approved by the CDA Board to overcome shortage of government residences.

According to the approved summary, the CDA employees who have their own residence in Islamabad would not be entitled to seek an allotment of a government residence. Those who have already been allotted residential plots by the authority would also be ineligible for official accommodation.

The new policy would immediately be implemented on new allotments, while employees already living in the government houses contrary to this policy will be given a grace period of six months to vacate the government residences.

Furthermore, no allotment of government houses will be made out of turn and all allotments will be made purely on merit as per a list already prepared according to the date of entitlement.

The meeting also considered a summary to curtail the growth of private housing societies situated on the narrow roads in zone IV and V of the federal capital. The matter was deferred by the CDA Board as some members were of the view that the matter needed further clarification. Presently, the CDA approves layout plans of housing societies in aforementioned zones and subsequently issues NOCs. Over a 100 housing societies established without obtaining NOC from the civic body have already been declared illegal and unauthorised.

“There is no by-law in place regarding the width of a road on which a housing society can be initiated. Owners of housing societies approach CDA to approve their layout plan even on quite narrow roads having only 15 to 30 feet wide road access. The authority even issued NOCs to some housing societies in the past on narrow roads ie Jammu Kashmir Housing Society,” a official privy to the CDA meeting told Daily Times.

“The summary deferred in today’s meeting was moved by the Directorate of Regional Planning CDA to set a criteria for main access road on which a new housing project would be allowed in future,” he said.

The summary purposed minimum width of 80 feet wide road access for all new housing societies making some of the wide roads as main arteries ie Islamabad Highway, Murree Road, Murree Expressway, Lehtrar Road, Khauta Road, Park Road, Kuri Road, Simly Dam Road and GT Road.

Another official told Daily Times said: “The summary is of huge significance as approving new housing projects on narrow roads as per the revenue record is not a wise decision and it will create traffic problems in future.”

Meanwhile, the board has also given a go ahead for the auction of 41 commercial and 37 residential plots in the developed sectors of the capital. The auctions will be held on 8, 9, 17 and 18 May, 2017 and are expected to bring Rs 7 to 8 billion revenue for the authority.