Clean and green Islamabad: CDA police station to take on encroachers

[Naveed Yaseen]

* Chairman Tariq Mehmood says a ‘police station’ coming up for crackdown on encroachments, unlawful housing work
* Says 2.4 million saplings to be planted in town in three years

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Capital Development Authority (CDA) is considering establishing its own ‘police station’ to crack down on encroachments and unlawful housing work in the city, CDA Chairman Tariq Mehmood Khan said on Friday.

After planting a sapling at the National Press Club (NPC), he said a major operation was underway to free the city from encroachments of all sorts.

He urged people to keep a vigilant eye on the encroachers.

He said people were being warned through media advertisements against investing money in illegal housing projects.

Tariq said all available resources were being used to develop Islamabad and made it clean, green and environment friendly.

He said the CDA would plant 2.4 million saplings in the city under the three-year ‘Clean and Green Islamabad” programme. He said the authority had so far planted 5,000 plants in Media Town.

The CDA chairman said of the city’s 10 katchi abadis (slums), four had already been shifted to Alipur Farash in line with the federal cabinet’s decision, while the remaining katchi abadis had been up-graded to restrict their expansion.

He said 1,500 residential plots at Alipur Farash had been allotted to the four katchi abadi’s inhabitants.

Tariq said the CDA had hired the services of three firms to examine the Zero Point Interchange’s designs submitted by selected construction firms.

He said the CDA would develop the NPC into one of the world’s best press clubs.

He said media played a pivotal role in national development. He asked journalists to guide the CDA on Islamabad’s development and beautification.

NPC Secretary General Afzal Butt and President Tariq Chaudhry thanked the CDA chairman for speedy construction of the modern press club in the federal capital.

Senior CDA officials and journalists attended the sapling plantation function.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg11_1