Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Planning Wing of the Capital Development Authority has failed to utilise or even regularise the precious land worth billions of rupees alongside the IJ principal road as a 300 feet wide strip spread over 11 kilometres is being seized by land grabbers.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA), which doesn’t allow even a kiosk on its land in sectoral areas without proper permission is silent over the misuse of its worthy land for years.

In the beginning of the establishment of capital city it was envisioned by the city managers that a 600 feet wide road will be laid down between the sector I and J at the present junction of the federal capital and the garrison city, but later on the decision was revised and the authority had decided to construct a 300 feet wide road instead of a 600 feet wide road.

Meanwhile, the CDA had already acquired a considerable chunk of land alongside the current IJP road, whereas a large number of portion is still unacquired, but the whole strip is under the control of the CDA according to the ICT Zoning Regulations 1992.

The land alongside the IJP road is divided into two categories; land acquired by the CDA and the land owned by the general public. However, according to ICT regulations there will be no permission for the establishment of any scheme without having prior permission of the civic authority in unacquired land.

According to zoning regulations 1992, “No access will be made to or from Khiyaban-e-Sir Syed without the permission of the Authority.” But the situation on the ground is totally odd as currently more than two dozen link roads have been established to provide access to the local settlements from the main IJP road, which is not only a violation of zoning regulations, but is also creating hurdles in the smooth flow of traffic on the main road.

Although, the zoning regulations 199, grant a permission for residential and commercial schemes in the area after fulfilment of the CDA’s formalities, yet not a single scheme has received a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the authority in this regard.

Currently, a number of CNG stations, petrol pumps, car wash stations, workshops bus stands, timber stores, and marble factories are working on the CDA’s encroached land or using this land to take access of the main road.

On the other side, due to the negligence of the CDA a big portion of worthy land is being encroached upon by these business enterprises without paying a single penny to the authority, which has caused a heavy loss to the public exchequer.

A source inside the CDA has commented on the situation; “It is quite unfortunate that the planning wing forgot an important asset and failed to adopt a modus operandi to utilise this land in the best favour of the authority.”

He said further; “In the past the CDA has successfully auctioned a few plots on the site near Pandora stop and earned huge monitory benefit, whereas a well devised policy about this land can convert this encroached land into a huge source of income.”

People of the locality i.e. I-9, I-10 and I-11 believe that if the CDA enforces its writ on both sides of the main IJP road then it can convert it into a beautiful avenue, whereas it can also help police to curb street crimes as currently the criminals use multiple link roads to flee from the federal capital.

Talking to Daily Times Member Planning CDA Waseem Ahmed Khan said; “I am not aware of the details because the matter is related to encroachment and it is under the purview of the enforcement directorate of the CDA.”

The Director Enforcement and Director Regional planning were contacted several times, but both were unavailable to comment on the issue.