Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: After long deliberations among city managers and police officials and the cancellation of allocated plot and court cases, the CDA is preparing to allocate 4.20 acres land in Sector H-11/3 by cutting the size of land marked for the Disaster Management Academy.

The city managers first allotted a plot measuring 4.20 acres to the Islamabad Traffic Police for the construction of a traffic complex on Murree Road near Faizabad in 2007 and possession was also handed over to the Islamabad Traffic Police, but later on the said plot was cancelled in 2008.

The CDA officials were of the view at the time of cancellation that the site for the construction of the traffic police complex was situated at the sports complex area of zone-III in Islamabad and after the review of the master plan of the city, the authority had decided to cancel the plot due to strategic reasons. The CDA directed the relevant departments to relocate a new piece of land in G-11 or Mauve Area against the old one.

In response, the Islamabad Police filed a civil suit against the decision of the CDA and the case is still pending before the court for retention of the aforesaid plot.

Meanwhile, the ministry of interior had directed the Chief Commissioner Islamabad to convene a meeting between all stakeholders to amicably settle the dispute among both the government departments.

Finally, a meeting between the Islamabad Police IG and Chairman CDA was held at the latter’s office. They discussed and analysed several possibilities to relocate the land keeping in view the futuristic trends of the city and the requirements of traffic police. They said the meeting was held in 2008 but ended without any conclusion. However the Chairman CDA had designated the Director Urban planning to locate a suitable site for the requisite land.

Sources inside the civic body said that their officials, after visiting the area along with a detailed study of the maps finally agreed to propose a piece of land measuring 4.20 acres at sector H-11/3. They said the newly proposed land was previously marked for the Disaster Management Academy.

The city managers proposed that a piece of land measuring 4.20 acres should be allocated to the Islamabad Traffic Police to construct its complex, whereas the Disaster Management Academy would be allowed to construct its building on the other corner of the plot in four acres.

A big piece of land measuring 30 acres, which would be left vacant between both the buildings can be used by both offices, but they will not be allowed to construct any building there.

Sources said that the decision was being taken because both the ITP and the Disaster Management Academy needed a big open area for driving school, driving paths and training grounds. The city managers envisioned that the open area could be used for the aforementioned purposes collectively.

The said site is located at Faqir Aapi Road in sector H-11/3 opposite to the Islamabad Police Lines whereas the land is also adjacent to the H-11 graveyard. The Inspector General of Police has also agreed with the proposal and has officially sought the allocation of the land at CDA’s proposed site and it is quite possible that the land would be allocated in the coming days.

Currently, the Islamabad Traffic Police is working in the absence of its permanent head office and it has also shifted the IG Traffic Police office inside the Police Lines in the wake of the CDA’s operation against the non-confirming use of residential buildings.