- CDA short of funds to complete Sang Jani Project, however CDA chairman assures completion of Park Enclave Project by the end of the year
The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has claimed that work on the Park Enclave project will finish by the end of this year but the authority is already destined to miss its deadline of the Margalla Avenue Sang Jani project due to lack of funds and incompetence, Pakistan Today has learnt.
The CDA has claimed that it was vigorously busy in finishing work on the Park Enclave. “I am personally monitoring the development work as its quality and timely completion will be ensured to facilitate the allottees,” said CDA Chairman Syed Tahir Shahbaz on Thursday.
On the other hand, the Rs 588 million worth project of the Margala Avenue Sang Jani was launched in June 2012 and its construction of 9 kilometres long road was to be completed by this June. According to reliable sources, the road project cannot meet the deadline due to “financial crisis the agency is facing.” It was also said that only a small portion of the project had been completed in the last 10 months. The source also said that on several places the CDA had yet to procure land for the avenue.
Lack of planning in the CDA is obvious from the authority’s inability in completing the Margala Avenue Sang Jani on time.
A CDA official told the Pakistan Today that the authority had no resources to accomplish this huge project but the CDA chief had hoped to generate funds from selling plots. “Despite selling of a large number of residential and commercial plots, the authority has remained unable to complete the project,” the CDA official said, adding that the project had begun without resolving the issue of land acquisition.
Shahbaz admitted professional shortcomings in the CDA. He said his basic objective was to reintroduce commitment “for which the authority was once known for”. He said various measures were being adopted to reclaim the lost glory. He said committed officers were being posted within the organisation. “We will ensure better and improved services for the people of the federal capital and the authority will leave no stone unturned to achieve its targets,” he added.
Answering a question, the chairman said progress on the Kuri Model Village project was also underway. He said that the authority was facing some land grabbing issues which were being backed by some powerful people, but the CDA was committed to taking action against land grabbers. He said the authority would also introduce a transparent mechanism for the allotment of plots.
But Margala Avenue Sang Jani project manager Rana Naeem tells another story. Talking to the Pakistan Today, he said the CDA had not yet paid for whatever the work had been done so far. He said the CDA was probably trying to change the deal which they could not afford as a huge sum of money was involved. He said there might arise need to take the matter to the court if the CDA still persisted on its stance. He said there was only 6 kilometres of the road had yet been acquired while 3 kilometres was yet to be purchased from various entities.