Two key officials of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) exchanged harsh words over policies for the inclusion of agendas in CDA’s board meeting here on Friday.
“In the last board meeting, it was decided unanimously to notify the agendas of the board two days before, which was not exercised,” said member administration.
However, the mayor is of the view that the agendas were included in the eleventh hour as the summaries from their relevant wings were proposed after Wednesday.
“Due to the poor management by the CDA Board Secretary Asif Shah Jahan, incomplete summaries for the restoration of two plots were proposed before the board, which caused embarrassment, and the board deferred both,” said a high official of CDA requesting anonymity.
Another high official disclosed Friday that two groups were formed following the rift between two key officials of CDA.
“Three board members are on one side, including the mayor, whereas two at another side. All agendas falling in the domain of member estate were either deferred or deliberated. However, both agendas falling in the domain of member planning and design were approved,” he said.
It is noted that earlier, member administration also told the mayor that the summaries must go through law directorate in order to include the particular agenda in the board meeting. Anyhow, this recommendation was also grounded by the mayor, saying that only the summaries which needed law assistance would go through the law directorate.
In a board meeting on Friday, the demarcation of land for King Hammad University of Nursing and Medical Sciences and CDA Down Town project had been approved.
According to approved demarcation, King Hammad University will be established on 237 kanal land and 300 kanal land reinstated with CDA’s old project of downtown.
King Hamad of Bahrain had in 2014 announced that he will provide funds for the university as a gift to the people of Pakistan. It was decided that the Pakistani government will arrange for the land and the utility services for the university, while the construction work will be funded by Bahrain.
Bahrain gave Rs3 billion for the project. The King Hamad University was to be established on 237 kanal land on Park Road, Chak Shahzad. The university will be able to house 2,000 students with 500 admissions annually and will have accommodation for 1,000 female students on campus. A delegation from Bahrain led by Dr Shaikha Rana bint Isa bin Daij Al-Khalifa visited Islamabad last year to finalise the project.
Besides this, the board also permitted the subdivision of residential plots abutting on vehicular streets.
Agenda of the restoration of plot no 243-248, industrial triangle, Kahuta road along with the restoration of plot C-2, Blue Area, were deferred due to incomplete proposed summaries.
“The summaries were proposed on lump sum basis in which it was recommended to restore plots by paying authority Rs960 million for Blue Area plot and 460 million for another one, without wetting it from finance wing. This happens when authority is in dire need of revenue,” said an officer of the finance wing.
Moreover, agenda regarding the imposition of sales taxes under Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) was referred to the finance division.
When contacted, both Mayor Sheikh Anser and Member Administration Yasir Peerzada claimed: “It was a polite discussion, not harsh words.”
