CDA pledges to make Islamabad a ‘model city’

ISLAMABAD: Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman, Engr Farkhand Iqbal said on Monday that in order to make Islamabad a model city, the local businessmen would be taken on board for every strategy and plan for development of the capital.

“No city could develop without contribution of entrepreneurs and CDA would address all problems of businessmen so that they could promote local economy smoothly,” the CDA chairman said while addressing business community at Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) on Monday.

He said that opening ceremony of Park Enclave will be held on February 16. He said CDA was facing financial problems due to which many development works were stalled, but with the improvement in financial health of the authority all stalled projects would be completed.

The CDA Chairman said he would start sector-wise visits of markets from today (Tuesday) to know first-hand the issues of businessmen. He said that one focal person will be appointed for every two sectors in the capital to take care of the issues like water, sanitation, sewerage and other related problems and notification for their appointment would be issued within next one or two days.

He was of the view that businessmen could register their complaints with these focal persons for early solution of their problems. He responded to all the agenda items and assured to resolve all the issues on priority basis. “In a globalised world, we have to build a positive image of Pakistan by developing the federal capital on modern lines,” he said, adding that CDA would collaborate with business community in making the city more beautiful.

In his welcome address, ICCI President Yassar Sakhi Butt congratulated Engr Farkhand Iqbal on his appointment as CDA chairman and appreciated him for taking interest in solving businessmen’s issues. He highlighted the problems being faced by the business community and urged for immediate solution so that business activity in the metropolis could further flourish. He proposed to form a Dispute Resolution Committee comprising representatives of CDA and ICCI to help resolve various disputes pertaining to trade and industry.

The ICCI president also demanded for allocation of a cricket ground to ICCI, change of building byelaws, multi-storey flats for traders, permission for additional storey on auto and steel plots, citizen club for businessmen, allotment of plot for dispensary and community centre in I-10/3, allotment of land for holding industrial exhibitions by ICCI, development of Islamabad markets, removal of encroachments and establishment of truck stand and stressed for the need of developing strong liaison between CDA and ICCI for resolving problems of business community with joint efforts