Islamabad - In negation of the spirit of purging Capital Development Authority (CDA) of corrupt elements, the high-ups at the authority have started posting again the officials who were, sometimes back, expelled from the Land and Rehabilitation Directorate after reports of massive irregularities over there.

The officials have started manoeuvring for their return to the lucrative posts in the land directorate as some of them have already made it to the seats they were previously holding after the process for allotment of plots to the affectees started, said the sources in the authority.

Allotment of alternate plots to the affectees has always been a golden opportunity for the CDA officials to mint money from the affectees. Mayor Islamabad and Chairman CDA, Sheikh Anser Aziz had taken serious notice of complaints of irregularities in Land and Rehabilitation Directorate and transferred all officers in the first stance and directed to seal the land record for proper investigations.

On October 7, 2016, 153 officials were transferred from Land and Rehabilitation Directorate which included 18 Senior Assistants, 41 Sub-Assistants, 53 Lower Division Clerks, 4 Data Entry Operators, 1 Daftri and 36 Naib Qasids.

These employees were replaced by the ‘well reputed officials’ posted in different formations of the Authority. However, according to the sources, CDA administration under pressure the CDA labour union has started posting the ‘corrupt’ officials again at the Land Directorate. They said Ali Asghar (AD), Zafeer Abbasi (Dealing Assistant ), Ikram (Assistant), Shehzad (Naib Qasid) have already made it to the directorate while, according to the sources, the other officials including Sanam Shah, Yaseen Khan, Tasneem Shah and Jamshed Khokhar are being considered to be posted at their previous positions in the Land Directorate.

The process of allotment to the affectees remained suspended since the officials were expelled. The sources said as soon as the process started, these officials have started efforts to get back to their previous positions.

Meanwhile, the affectees have protested against CDA officials who, according to them, were demanding bribes for allotment of alternate plots. They said that Faiz Wattoo, Additional Director CDA and other CDA officials were asking for money for finalizing their name in the draw for the plots.

Talking to The Nation, Chairman CDA, Sheikh Anser Aziz said that he had ordered transferring the corrupt elements from the directorate after reports of irregularities.

However, he said that he look into the fresh postings in the Land Directorate, if any. On the incident involving Additional Director FAiz Wattoo, the Chairman said he has ordered an inquiry into the same. “I have asked Director (Security) to hold an inquiry into the incident in which the affectees manhandled the official,” the Chairman said. 

He said 4000-5000 files of the affectees are still pending and every claimant wants his name is included in the draw at the earliest that may have lead to the incident.

Meanwhile, Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) of Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) auctioned the local cattle market for the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha at sector I-12/2 for Rs72 million. The Wooper (Pvt) Limited who won bid against the 33 contestants would ensure proper sanitation and provision of basic facilities as water, electricity and security at the cattle market. The contractor would charge Rs500 for the big animal and Rs250 for the meat animal.

The contractor will charge Rs143 per square yard for the space to the cattle trader. The auction of the site for the cattle market is for 13 days starting from 1st to 13th of Zilhajj, he added. It is to mention here that the market was auctioned for just Rs22 million in 2016. The civic agency will arrange ambulance service for the market to meet any untoward incident.