Misuse of private houses: CDA fails to devise strategy against violators

[LRE]

Misuse of private houses: CDA fails to devise strategy against violators

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has not yet devised any strategy to stop non-conforming use of residential buildings despite increasing use of residential houses for commercial purposes in the federal capital, a senior official told Daily Times on Thursday.

“The CDA seems helpless to check people using their houses for commercial purposes in violation of authority’s building by-laws, as it has not yet prepared any plan in this regard,” he said.

According to a survey conducted by CDA’s Building Structure Control Directorate one year ago, around 795 houses are being used for commercial purposes in the residential areas of Islamabad, the official said. Of 795 houses, 329 are being used for offices of various organisations, 87 for guesthouses, four for restaurants, 255 for schools and 124 for businesses like beauty parlours and clinics in various sectors, he said.

He said earlier the trend of using residential houses for commercial purposes was prevalent in posh sectors but now it was also increasing in less developed sectors as one can observe a number of guesthouses and hostels in these areas due to laxity of CDA. “CDA can easily stop this violation by taking action against the violators and strictly warning them of plot allotment cancellation,” said the official.

The official said under Islamabad Residential Sectors Zoning Regulation 2005 there was a ban on non-conforming use of residential houses in the capital and under the rules the authority can cancel the allotment of plot if the owner continues the violation.

He said the illegal use residential houses for commercial purposes was also a reason for shortage of houses and their sky rocketing rents, as most of the organisations were offering high rent for residential houses to set up their offices. He said now it was impossible for ordinary people to get an affordable accommodation in the city.

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