Park Enclave Housing Scheme: Senate body for timely completion of development work

Committee concerned over issues awaiting resolution since 1985

ISLAMABAD: Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat has directed Capital Development Authority (CDA) to complete the Park Enclave Housing Scheme-Zone IV within stipulated time.

The committee met under the chairmanship of Senator Shahid Hassan Bugti at CDA headquarters on Thursday to discuss the work progress of Park Enclave Sector E-12 and construction of offices of Senate and National Assembly standing committees chairmen. The committee was apprised that the development work was going on according to the layout plan and the authority was committed to completion of the project in time.

The committee showed concern over six months’ extension in time frame for completion of the project and directed that it should not be further extended. CDA officials informed the committee that they would complete the infrastructure work within a period of one year, however, the administrative work, like development of clubs, hospitals and mosques, would be completed in next six months.

The committee was informed that CDA had possession of the whole land in the scheme that comprised 650 one-kanal plots and 40 two-kanals plots, which would be fully developed. CDA Chairman Engineer Farkhand Iqbal assured the committee that Park Enclave would be developed as a model sector.

The allottees would be informed about the development work in the scheme and the concerned department had already been directed to issue letters to them about the development, delay or any problems in the work, Farkhand said. Reviewing the development work of Sector E-12, the committees showed concern, saying the affected were suffering since 1985, in spite of the inquiries conducted by various departments.

The CDA officials informed the committee that the occupants had taken stay order from Islamabad High Court (IHC) by misguiding it, as the Supreme Court of Pakistan had already given a verdict in favour of CDA. They said the court would withdraw stay order after hearing the point of view of CDA in this regard on January 21.

Although, CDA had no funds for development of E-12, but it was making efforts to generate revenue by cutting its non-development expenditure, like electricity bills, and by replacing bulbs with LEDs (Light Emitting Diode) and saving around 50 percent in electricity bills by using waste for production of electricity, said the officials.

Currently, 65,000 conventional lights were being used in parks, streets and markets, which cost Rs 1.2 billion as electricity bills annually, using 18 megawatts, however, LEDs would cost Rs 500-700 million, saving around nine megawatts, the CDA officials said. Senators Saeeda Iqbal, Kalsoom Perveen, Begum Najma Hameed and Ali Muhammad Badini and CDA officials were also present on the occasion.