CDA fails to remove encroachments in Saidpur

[Salman]

CDA fails to remove encroachments in Saidpur


ISLAMABAD - Violating the Supreme Court orders requiring the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to move against illegal encroachments in the city, the enforcement directorate of the civic body has yet to comply with the court’s ruling. It is due to this apathy of the CDA that that over 50 influential people have encroached upon the CDA’s land in Saidpur Model Village. “The CDA did take an action against encroachers at Saidpure Village after the Supreme Court orders and the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA)’s request and demolished houses constructed by poor people while the encroachments erected by the influential people could not be removed.”, an official of CDA told Pakistan Today on Tuesday.
Requesting anonymity, he told this scribe that the CDA took action only against some poor encroachers but it could not move against “the big fish”.
The authority had sent a list of 125 encroachers to the FIA to which, the latter issued challan against those encroaching the CDA land, he said. The official said that the CDA stopped the campaign immediately after the encroachers approached an influential politician who assured them that no action would be taken against them. He said it was a blatant violation of the SC orders by the CDA. He said the Saidpur Model Village built at the foothills of Margallah attracted a number of tourists both from within the country and abroad. The official said that the village was one of the most visited spots in the capital and has all the modern facilities for the visitors.
It has a panoramic view of green hills due to people have links in the political circle encroach CDA land, he said. “The village reflects the real cultural heritage of our rural society therefore the CDA needs to protect it and improve its infrastructure instead of turning a blind eye to the mushrooming encroachments there,” he added.