In retaliation of the disconnection of electricity from the headquarters of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) office on December 27, the CDA has sealed two stores of the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) on account of non-conforming use here on Wednesday.
The IESCO claims that they have issued several notices over the non-payment of electricity bills of street lights for one year. According to IESCO, CDA high-ups don’t bother paying outstanding dues, claiming that their account has been sealed by the Islamabad High Court and that no type of transaction was possible.
The stores were constructed in green belts, one located in the green belt between sector G-9 and F-9 and the other one located in the sector G-7. The operation was conducted by the Directorate of Municipal Administration Enforcement Directorate in presence of Magistrate Imran Zia.
However, when IESCO disconnected their electricity, the MCI paid a bill of Rs 50 million on Wednesday and now only Rs30 million is left outstanding. Upon payment of the Rs 50 million, IESCO restored the supply of electricity to CDA headquarters and the office of the Murree municipal administration.
CDA may also issue a notice to IESCO for the illegal construction of its headquarters on land belonging to the WAPDA School in sector G-6/4.
Previously, the rift between two government functionaries over the possession of the plot intensified and both organisations were at loggerheads over the plot.
The Building Control Section of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has issued show cause notices to the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) in which the civic body asked the IESCO about the illegal construction.
The two storied building of IESCO’s head office was made on two hectares of land, and during the construction, the CDA simply ignored the encroachment and even not a single letter was sent to IESCO at that time.
An official of IESCO on the condition of anonymity told this scribe that “The CDA does not pay its electric dues often and when we send a bill to the CDA, they send us notice as reciprocal action. The building was constructed more than 30 years ago. The CDA will take no action, just as in the past. It is an old dispute, based on bargaining”, he added.
Another senior officer of WAPDA told this reporter that WAPDA was all set to construct a new headquarter building of IESCO near Dhokri Grid Station and that the “3-D” plan of the proposed building has been submitted.
An official of IESCO confided to Pakistan Today that the CDA had issued many notices in the past, but this is not a private office which it may seal or demolish. He said that there are several buildings in Islamabad which were constructed in violation of CDA by-laws of CDA, but the CDA stays silent regarding them.
“We are trying to resolve the issue amicably,” he said.