ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) board has approved proposed auction of 25 commercial plots located at prime locations of the capital. The decision to this effect was taken in a meeting held on Monday evening at the Chairman Secretariat. The meeting also approved a proposal to hire consultancy services for the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report on a road from the Quaid-e-Azam University to Bara Kahu. According to details, three plots in Sector I-8, six in D-12, two in Orchard Scheme, four in G-9, two in G-11, three each in Park Enclave and Sector I-11 and one each in Park Road and Sector F-11 will be auctioned. It might be mentioned here that the civic body auctioned 110 commercial plots during 2013 to 2016 and earned around Rs 31.65 billion whereas it also raked in around Rs 3.53 billion by selling 132 residential plots during 2011 to 2015. However, in 2016, the CDA’s move to auction residential plots in development areas was failed after court intervention. Meanwhile, the board meeting also approved to hire the services of consultants to carry out the EIA of a road construction project starting from the Quaid-e-Azam University and culminating at Bara Kahu. Several major agenda items including establishment of IT University in Zone 4, construction of a cultural complex at Shakarparian and recommendation of Senate Standing Committee on Law, Justice and Human Rights regarding illegal housing schemes in Islamabad was deferred by the board till next meeting. The board also referred back the case of extension in completion period of apartment project titled “Zarkon Heights” to directorate concerned for formation of a comprehensive policy in this regard. It is pertinent to mention here that the CDA board comprises chairman, member finance and accounts, member planning and design, member engineering, member environment and member estate. Rawalpindi commissioner and Islamabad chief commissioner are also the ex-officio members of the board. Currently, the CDA has only two permanent members – Member Engineering Shahid Sohail and Member Finance Fahad Aziz – whereas Asad Mehboob Kiani and Sulman Khan are working on look-after charges as member planning and design and member admin, respectively. The seats of member environment and member estate are also still vacant. Legal experts and senior officers of the authority believes that in absence of permanent board members, the proceedings of board can be influenced as the acting members have no solid ground to resist any decision. A legal expert while commenting on the present composition of CDA board said; “The Islamabad mayor should first complete the board then take policy level decision as in the absence of permanent members, the board is just a rubber stamp.” However, the Section 5 of the CDA Ordinance 1960 states, “No act or proceeding of the board shall be invalid merely on the ground of the existence of any vacancy in board or any defect in the constitution of the board.”