Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Enforcement Directorate of Capital Development Authority (CDA) has written three letters to its sister departments of environment and planning wing to highlight the ongoing behaviour to shift the responsibility on other’s shoulders whereas the directorate has also tabled new standard operating procedures (SOPs) in this regard for formal approval of the CDA chairman.

According to reports, several departments of CDA planning and environment wing has opted a routine to only identify the violations of CDA bylaws rather taking practical steps on ground. The regional planning directorate, urban planning directorate, housing societies directorate, ‘Kachi Abadi’ cell and environment departments are violating CDA bylaws, layout plans, rapid increase of permanent structures in ‘Kachi Abadis’ and abuse of green areas to enforcement directorate for suitable actions whereas these departments have been failed to provide technical help to launch such operation on ground. Following the aforementioned circumstances, the Enforcement Directorate of CDA has written three separate letters to environment and planning wing of CDA to point out this useless practice and behaviour to shift the responsibility. The letters clearly states that the undue shift of responsibility is not maintainable and the concerned directorates should adopt a suitable modus operandi to take practical steps against those who are violating the law. An officer of CDA Enforcement Directorate on the condition of anonymity said that it is a routine matter that different departments put their responsibility on our shoulders by simply writing a letter for necessary actions. He said, “How we can take action in matters which are not directly related to us without having proper support of the concerned departments”. In all three letters written by Enforcement Deputy Director Ammadud Din Muhammad, the enforcement directorate asked other departments to stop the practice as the environment and planning wings has their own staff, which is thousands in number then why they are not seriously taking action against land mafia, encroachers and violators of CDA building bylaws. The letter seeks a suitable mechanism to deal with all types of irregularities but clearly mentioned that all ground operations can only be launched under the practical leadership of concerned directorates.

Besides these letters, the enforcement directorate of CDA has also formulated the draft of fresh SOPs to work efficiently in cooperation with other directorates of the CDA. Under new SOPs, the municipal administration would be the sole custodian of Kiosk, timber depos and wood-talls in the capital whereas the responsibility will also rest with the municipal administration. It will be the responsibility of municipal administration to ensure that no illegal kiosk would be installed on CDA land. All matters related to the building violations, non-confirming use will be curbed by the Building Control Directorate of CDA with the help of CDA Enforcement Directorate whereas the rural areas, green belts, buffer zones, hills, national parks, forests, mountains and villages will be taken care by the environment wing of the CDA. The new SOPs clearly proposed that the planning wing of the CDA would be the sole custodian of beautifications, housing schemes and violations of master plans and all operations to curb such irregularities would be launched under the leadership of planning wing only. Amadud Din Muhammad while talking to the Daily Times confirmed the letters and said, “CDA Enforcement Directorate has its own limitations. We are facing staff shortage however we can assist all the departments in ground operation by coordinating with police, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration and by providing magisterial cover but we need a practical support in this regard by relevant departments”.