CDA finally decides to build Sector I-15 Islamabad

[Salman]

ISLAMABAD : In a bid to address the problems faced by those who were allotted plots in the Sector-I/15, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) may start development work there. The development is the result of a decision taken by the authority to seek offers from three pre-qualified firms for the work.

“In order to provide civic facilities to the middle class resident of the sector, the city’s prime agency had decided to launch uplift project in Sector-I/15 in 2005 but there had been a long delay in the work ever since and it definitely disappointed,” said a CDA source privy to the matter. Seeking anonymity, he said that keeping in view the plight of the allotees, the authority finally decided to seek offers from three pre-qualified firms, interested to work in the sector. He said the CDA, however, earlier rejected the single tender for construction and development of 6000 flats and 5566 plots.

The CDA, he said, has decided to seek tenders from three firms to be short-listed for the development of the said sector. “The decision was taken in the CDA board’s meeting. However, the board recommended that the flats must comprise two bedrooms and one drawing room and to keep the price of one flat around Rs 3 million,” he added.

The authority has also fixed a 54 percent quota in Sector-I/15 for the general public, 20 percent for the 2005 quake-affected people of Islamabad, 10 percent for non commissioned officers of the Pakistan Army, 10 percent for the employees of the federal government from BPS-1 to BPS-15, five percent for CDA employees and one percent for journalists working in the twin cities.

It is relevant to mention that the delay in the development work in the sector has been aggravating the housing shortage in the capital city. Though CDA has launched some new societies including Park Enclave and others but the prices of plots in those societies were beyond the buying capacity of people from the low income groups.