Rawalpindi: RDA okays launching of housing plan

[Naveed Yaseen]

Saeed Ahmed
The Rawalpindi Development Authority Monday approved the launching of RDA Vista Housing Scheme, economic zone, pre-qualifications of firms and proposed organ-gram of the authority.

RDA Chairman District Nazim Raja Javed Ikhlas, town nazims Rashid Shafique, Hamid Nawaz, RDA Director General Makeen Shahbaz and Director Land Management and Estate Shuja Ali attended the meeting.

Later, briefing ‘The News,’ Shuja Ali informed that the RDA has launched Phase-I of its Vista Housing Scheme in collaboration with private parties on land-sharing formula in the adjoining areas of sectors I-15 and I-16. Initially M/s Javaid and Ch Iftikhar have allocated 3,000 kanal of land to RDA free of cost. However, the RDA required 375 acres of land for the housing scheme and talks with other parties were under progress.

In phase-I, RDA would work on 1,000 kanal of land including residential, commercial and agricultural sectors. The plots would be offered through balloting. The RDA would invite banks to distribute forms to the interested people, which would be sold at government rates. RDA has started interim development on 12 ‘mozas’ under the Vista Housing Scheme, he informed.

The agenda of development of economic zone in Chak Baili Khan was also discussed which was approved by the chairman. Under this project all cottage industries, fruit and vegetable ‘mandis’ and auto-workshops would be shifted from Rawalpindi to Chak Baili Khan. Survey work of the Rawalpindi City has been started to assess the number of workshops, fruit and vegetable ‘mandis’ for shifting from the city. The survey would be completed by the end of January next year, he said. The RDA also discussed the matter of pre-qualifications of firms to be awarded projects in future that was approved by the meeting.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=153432