ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has approved lowest bid worth Rs 542 billion for the development of two sub-sectors of I-12 that were facing an inordinate delay for the past. The development work included construction of streets, a drainage system and the sewerage network in sub-sectors I-12/2 and I-12/3, a CDA spokesman said on Tuesday. The federal apex agency, he said was paying special focus on the city’s development “Once I-12 fully developed, it will be a major contributor to affordable housing in Islamabad,” he added. According to a senior official of the authority during past it had awarded contracts for construction of major and service roads in the sector but both the contracts could not be completed due to some unknown reasons. In 2020, the CDA approved PC-1 worth Rs 8.21 billion for the development of the sector, including complete infrastructure development, electrical and mechanical works and provision of amenities and other services. According to the PC-I, the sector was to be fully developed by 2023. The I-12 sector was launched decades ago and has over 6,000 plots. However, no serious attempt was made for the development of the sector. Besides other challenges, the under-developed sector was also being used as a dumping site for many years.