The Capital Development Authority will auction 28 plots for nurseries in the Orchard Scheme and along the stretch of Kashmir Highway, to generate revenue for the cash-strapped authority. “We have identified new plots in the Orchard Scheme and Kashmir Highway, additional plots are also being identified for this purpose,” said CDA’s Planning and Design Member Mustafain Kazmi on Wednesday.
He said the CDA will license out plots for nurseries through open competition, according to a new policy formulated on the directives of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
Kazmi said, “Earlier the CDA used to dispose of plots for nurseries among parties already running nurseries in Islamabad, but now the board has directed open competition.”
The PAC had opposed the CDA’s policy of leasing out nurseries among existing lessees. The PAC had directed the disposal of plots among pre-qualified parties by inviting applications through media.
The CDA Board had directed the planning wing to finalise the modalities of plots and table a report in the upcoming board meeting.
The CDA had also been considering the establishment of nurseries along the stretch of Islamabad Expressway, between Faizabad and Koral Chowk, but the plan is being reviewed for security purposes due to frequent VIP movement on the expressway.
According to a CDA official, the project’s location may be shifted from Koral Chowk.
Kazmi said that when the federal capital was established, it required nurseries to give it a green facade and private parties were given plots measuring 2.25 acres on lease for this purpose. He said the land had been leased out in 1970 for a period of 20 years that was later extended twice for ten years in 1990 and 2000 respectively.
According to the new policy, applications would be scrutinised by a three-member committee and the license fee will be increased by 25 percent after every three years.
However, the licensee will not be allowed to assign, sublet, mortgage or transfer the possession of plots licensed for the nursery.
