CDA ‘unlawfully’ allows division of agro farm

[Salman]

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has unlawfully allowed division of an agro farm in three parts, whereas the officer who opposed the move was repatriated from CDA, sources said on Tuesday.

The top management of the civic body granted permission to the division of agro farm number C-8 located at Poultry and Vegetable (P&V) Scheme II, Park Road Originally.

The documents available with Dawn showed that the the management has subdivided 10.37 acres plot into plot number C-8 of five acres and C-8/1 measuring 5.37 acres, succumbing to the pressures from the parliamentarians and the PM’s office.

The same file No 143 dated 6-01-14 of the Planning Wing suggested that the plot number C-8 may further be subdivided into two plots, C-8 and C-8/2, each measuring 2.5 acres.

According to the file prepared by a deputy director, the CDA board meeting held on July 20, 2010 allowed CDA Member Planning and Design to decide cases of subdivision of residential plots.

However, the same rule is applied to the division of the land, the file said. “Likewise, it is suggested that subdivision of agro farming plots may also be decided by Member Planning & Design,” the file noted.

However, Raheel Kidwai, the deputy director-II in the estate wing raised objections to the proposed sub division in first week of January this year, but he was reverted back to his parent department within three days so that the file could be cleared.

Mr Kidwai had written in the file that the 33 years lease term of the C-8 had expired in August 2011 and the fresh lease had to be obtained before any further move.

He also noted that the CDA rules did not allow multiple sub divisions.

Incidentally, an official of the CDA conceded that C-8 was among 82 farmlands in the capital that have not been developed by the lease holders.

“This is also a violation of the SC ruling aimed at discouraging misuse of farmlands and the court had directed the CDA to cancel lease agreements of the plots,” the official said adding, “However, due to the political pressures the commercial activities continue at agro farm.”