Metro bus depot: CDA gives away another three acres to RDA

[Salman]

Civic agency hasn’t charge a penny for the total 18 acre allotment of prime land. STOCK IMAGE

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CAD) board on Friday approved the allotment of an additional three acres in Sector H-9 for the metro bus depot.

Initially, the CDA had allotted 15-acre, but recently the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) sought additional three-acres as the allotted land was not enough to serve the purpose. Incidentally, all of the land has been transferred free-of-cost.

The depot will house a filling station, a restaurant, workshops, a service station and operations offices.

CDA and RDA officials, however, remained silent under which law or agreement the transaction has been carried out. CDA high-ups claim that the authority will be compensated in the form of a new Interchange at Peshawar Mor.

The interchange was not originally part of the metro bus project, but was included at the CDA’s request, a senior CDA official claimed when asked under which agreement the land has turned over to the RDA.

Originally, Rs2 billion had been allocated for the construction of an underpass at Peshawar Mor. Later, another Rs5 billion was set aside to build an interchange.

Under the agreement between the federal and Punjab governments, the cost of the project would be split equally.

Interestingly, the transaction was verbally agreed upon.

Officials of the CDA planning wing said that the depot in Sector H-9, which is essentially an education zone with a handful of departmental buildings and the weekly bazaar area, does not reflect quality planning.

RDA Public Relations Officer Hafiz Muhammad Irfan said that RDA was only mandated to build the structure on the said land. Following construction, it will be handed over to the Punjab Metro Bus Authority for further operations, he said.

CDA Chairman Maroof Afzal could not be contacted for comment despite repeated attempts.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 22^nd, 2014.