CDA demolishes illegal structures constructed outside government houses

[Salman]

CDA demolishes illegal structures constructed outside government houses

Islamabad

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) Enforcement Wing on Wednesday demolished illegal structures in government houses of Sector G-7/2 which invited strong protest from the residents who demanded immediate suspension of the operation.

As the CDA Enforcement Wing staff, led by its director Muhammad Iqbal, started

operation against additional structures in government houses, the residents came

out to register their protest

and shouted slogans against the civic body. They burnt tyres at service road along Blue Area.

According to details, the enforcement team of CDA, accompanied by personnel of

Islamabad Police, demo-

lished three rooms, four boundary walls besides rooting out gates erected on the CDA land.

The residents termed the CDA action brutal saying that they have constructed additional rooms in view of expansion of their families and according to their requirements. “If the CDA demolishes additional structures in over 80% of the government houses in Islamabad, accommodation pro-blem would emerge,” one of the residents of Sector G-7/2 said.

An official of the CDA, who accompanied the enforcement team, said that they took action against only those residents who had constructed rooms outside their houses on the CDA land. “We did not demolish any construction or additional rooms inside the boundary walls of houses, and razed only those rooms which were constructed on the CDA land,” he said.

He claimed that the allottees had rented out these additional rooms illegally. The official said the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had directed them to demolish illegal structures in government houses.

It may be pointed out here that the majority of the allottees of 17,000 government residences have constructed additional rooms inside or outside their houses.

One of the tenants, who is living in a room of a government house, said he could not afford to live elsewhere in Islamabad. “I am paying only Rs6,000 for one room whereas I will have to pay over Rs15,000 if I live in any private residence,” he said.