Islamabad: Delay in Sector I-15 development

[Naveed Yaseen]

Funds spent on other projects, over 2,000 claim refund

* Officials inform federal ombudsman CDA can’t develop sector owing to financial crunch
* Around 1,000 applicants refunded money so far

By Fazal Sher

ISLAMABAD: Around 2,500 applicants awarded plots and flats in Sector I-15 have claimed back their money owing to the continued delay in the development of sector by the Capital Development Authority (CDA), as the money generated from the sale of plots has been spent on other projects leaving the applicants high and dry.

The sector was launched in 2006 to meet the residential needs of the low-income group. There are 13,500 housing units in the sector including 5,500 plots of 5-7 marla and 8,000 flats of 1,300 sq feet each.

During the launching ceremony of the sector, former prime minister Shaukat Aziz had said that the authority would complete the development work within one year and hand the housing units over to their owners but despite passage of over two years the CDA has failed to develop the sector leading to an increase in the shortage of housing units in the capital.

A mole in the development agency told Daily Times that a few days ago the federal ombudsman had summoned the officials concerned and enquired them about the delay in the development of sector. They told the ombudsman that the money generated from the sale of plots and flats had been spent on other ongoing projects and assured that the development work would be completed in next three year.

The official said that the CDA board had decided to refund all those wanting their money back, and so far 1,000 people had been refunded money.

The authority had fixed 54 per cent quota for the general public, 20 per cent for the affected people, 10 per cent for the non-commissioned officers (NCOs) of army, 10 per cent for the federal government employees (scale 1 to 15), five per cent for the CDA employees and 1 per cent for the working journalists of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

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