Three plots auctioned in March forfeited by bidders

[Salman]

Islamabad: The property mafia has once again spread its tentacles to incur a huge loss to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) after getting three commercial plots, which were auctioned in the last open auction about two months back, cancelled.



Interestingly, all three commercial plots, measuring 1,333 square yards each, which were auctioned in the last week of March, had been cancelled and the civic body confiscated Rs5 million token money deposited by three successful bidders.



Now all these three plots have been placed in the list of commercial plots, which would be offered for open auction on May 21 and May 22 at the Pak-China Centre. “It is not a coincidence that the auction of all three commercial plots in Blue Area had been cancelled rather it is a part of some game planned by the property mafia with the connivance of CDA officials,” sources in the CDA said.



The three plots were auctioned for over Rs1.8 billion, but the auction stood cancelled.CDA Chairman Syed Tahir Shahbaz, when contacted, confirmed that the three plots would again be offered in the open auction.



He said the successful bidders of the open auction held in March this year failed to deposit the payment due against them and therefore the token money of Rs5 million deposited by them has been forfeited.



However, he said that he was not aware of the fact whether any official of the CDA was involved in any game of property mafia. “May be, there is some involvement of CDA officials, but I am not aware of it,” the CDA chairman said.