Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Instead of taking strict action against corrupt practices inside the civic body to break the ‘mafia’s nexus’, the incumbent administration of the CDA is also preparing to benefit some blue eyed persons by regularising a wrong done by the previous management.

According to details, against the claims of several land affected people, the Land Directorate of CDA had issued allotment letters to some two dozen blue eyed persons in a developed Sector I-10, but these plots were not even present on ground as well as in layout plan of said sector.

As for instance, the layout plan of Sector I-10/4 indicates the last plot number 2070 in the row, but the land directorate had issued the allotment letters for plots 2070-A, 2070-B, 2070-C, 2070-D, 2070-E, 2070-F, 2070-G, 2070-H, which never existed.

The aforementioned smart move was allegedly supervised by former Deputy Director General Land and Rehabilitation Abdul Salam Shah under the pressure of a highly influential Member National Assembly, who belongs to the ruling party. However, Mr. Shah denied the charge and asked to take action against those involved including himself if he was proved guilty. He also considered these letters illegal.

The purpose of the issuance of allotment letters was to provide benefit of millions to these blue eyed persons as the market rate of plots in developed sectors are much higher than underdeveloped sectors. In routine the claims of affected people are settled against the plots in underdeveloped sectors like I-12, I-14, C-15, C-16 and Humak, but in this case the allotment was made in a fully developed sector I-10 even when the said plots did not exist even on the ground as well as in plan.

Now, the incumbent set-up under the elected Mayor of Islamabad Shaikh Ansar Aziz, is also trying to regularise the illegal acts done in past as the Directorate of Urban Planning has prepared a plan to create new plots in I-10 to accommodate these illegal allotment letter holders. When contacted, the present DDG (L&R) Riaz Javed Randawa has accepted that the whole practice was an act of corruption and beyond the rules. He said further: “I have just been called by Member Planning and Design Asad Mehboob Kiani to launch an inquiry in this regard to punish the responsible elements.”

A senior officer of the Authority on the condition of anonymity has briefed; “How CDA can accommodate some people in I-10 while hundreds of others were compensated in low price sectors.” He said further; “the plots in developed sectors should be placed for auction instead of allocating affected people in such a dubious manner.”

A real estate consultant while explaining market comparison has said; “it’s a simple case to benefit some blue-eyed person and meant to cause the loss of millions to public exchequer as the rate of a plot in I-10 sector is almost double to a plot in underdeveloped sectors like C-15, C16.”

While talking to Daily Times, Member Planning and Design Mr. Asad Kiani, confirmed the orders of inquiry in this case, but he was of the view that he cannot cancel these allotment letters besides utter illegalities in their issuance. He said; “I have ordered inquiry and recommended criminal charges against those who were involved in this case, but how I can undo a letter which was issued in the past?” A well-placed source claimed that the Mr. Kiani is right as how he can cancel the letters when the same MNA is behind the case again. He suggested, if the present management is serious in fixing the responsibility then it should cancel these illegal allotment letters or accept their role in facilitating the same corrupt mafia.