Islamabad - The Board of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has opposed transfer of Authority’s assets to the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI).

The Board which met here Thursday with Chairman CDA, Ishrat Ali in the chair rejected the summary prepared by the Ministry of Interior for transfer of the assets. The summary was prepared on the recommendation of Mayor Islamabad. The MCI’s parent ministry, Ministry of Interior had, on July 16 notified 71 CDA properties to be utilized and supervised by the MCI. These properties include the Authority’s G-6 building that houses the Mayor’s office, F-9 Park, the F-9 Citizen’s Club, Lake View Park, Shakarparian picnic area and Ladies Club besides the vehicles and other assets.

The Board held that the decision taken by the ministry of interior was not endorsed by the CDA Board and that the Authority had severe reservations over it. It further maintained that the assets of the CDA are not divisible unless the Authority is dissolved. The Board viewed that the list of the assets was prepared without taking on board all the stakeholders or adopting due process as required by the CDA Ordinance and the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act, 2015.

The Board members unanimously rejected the summary for transfer of the assets and decided to approach the federal government for constituting a high-powered committee to resolve the issue amicably. A total of 49 directorates, 23 fully and 26 partially were devolved to the MCI after the local government was formed in the capital city.

The Board also approved auction of 57 commercial plots in different sectors of the capital in the month of October. 

Earlier on July 26, 2018 the CDA Chairman Ishrat Ali had also wrote to the Ministry of Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) — the CDA’s parent ministry — opposing the manner in which the CDA’s assets were going to be transferred to the MCI. He had asked the CADD secretary to discuss the matter with Secretary Interior and also recommended withdrawal of the Interior Ministry’s July 16 notification.

The MCI was established in 2016 after which some functions of the CDA, municipal and other services were transferred to the corporation and some formations and directorates of the CDA were placed under the administrative control of the corporation but transfer of assets to MCI had never been a ‘pleasant’ subject between the two entities.

On the other hand, the National Accountability Bureau has asked the CDA officials to submit comments along with relevant laws/rules in the case of allotment of 150 plots to what it viewed favoured persons.

The allotment was made by the Land Directorate of CDA through issuance of corrigendum. The NAB has started inquiry into the allotment of plots after the Authority issued corrigendum between September and December 2017. The plots were allegedly allotted in sectors as I-11, I-12, Margalla Town, Shehzad Town, I-10, I-9, F-11.  According to the sources, NAB had in March this year asked for the relevant record so as to advance its probe in the matter. The sources said that a NAB team visited the CDA offices some days back as the officials seem reluctant in handing over relevant record to the NAB investigators.