ISLAMABAD – Gone are the days when the Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) land was taken by the city managers as ‘ornaments’ of the authority and everyone knows in traditional Indian subcontinent sale of ornaments to make both ends meet is conceived as bad omen.
But what one can do with the fast changing ‘traditions’ of the federal capital’s civic body that is left - in the absence of comprehensive funds generation strategy - with no other option but to sale its ‘ornaments’ to run Authority’s day to day affairs.
And this time, in real terms, the Authority is going to organise a ‘grand’ auction of industrial, commercial, residential and other plots. During two-day auction scheduled for December 18 and December 19, the Authority has planned to present a total of 30 plots for auction.
It is also a common practice that authorities usually take unpopular decisions - those are hard to swallow for many - as last resort with a heavy heart and expressing their regret for the future adverse impacts of such decisions.
But in CDA’s case, it is otherwise. “Since Authority’s creation, we have been selling land and I see no harm in it. The territorial limits of Islamabad are expanding fast. Although we are selling, yet at the same time we are creating more plots for further generation of funds,” Chairman CDA Syed Tahir Shahbaz proudly claimed during an informal conversation last Saturday.
However, he said, the Authority would also devise strategies to shore up its income from other sources.
Eleven commercial, 9 residential, three industrial, four automobile workshops, one agro-farm, and one plot each meant for construction of a wedding hall and a filling station would be auctioned during two consecutive days.
The Authority is also going to auction CDA’s Community Centre located at Street 9, I-10/3. This plot will be auctioned under the category of industrial plot.
Commercial plots including plot numbers 328, 331, 373, 376 and 395 located in Sector I-10/4, plot nos. 1-D & 1-E in Sector F-10/2, plot no. 40-E in Sector G-9 Markaz, plot no 25-C located in Sector G-10 Markaz, plot No. 6 at Blue Area F-8/G-8, and plot No. B-2 in Blue Area F-9/G-9 will be presented for auction.
Industrial plots including plot Nos. 94-C and 152-A located in Sector I-10/3 and a community centre plot located in Street 9 of Sector I-10/3 are also planned for auction.
Residential plots including plot Nos. 471, 472, 473, 474, 475 and 476 located in Street 9 of Sector G-10/2, plot nos. 478, 479 and 480 in Sector D-12/4, plot Nos. 1 and 2 situated in Street 3-A of Sector F-10/2, plot Nos. 2-A and 3-A in Sector F-6/3 are also selected for auction.
Four plots including plot Nos. 1, 2, 115, and 116 located in Sector I-10/3 and meant for the establishment of automobile workshop, an agro farm plot No. 73 in Orchard Scheme, Benazir Bhutto Road, a wedding hall plot in Sector G-10 and a plot located besides HDIP and meant for construction of filling station will also be presented for auction.
The civic agency organised last auction of land on November 19 and November 20 2012. The CDA earned Rs2.8 billion by auctioning five residential and seven commercial plots. The CDA has recently shortened payment schedule against auctioned plots.
For financial year 2012-13, the Authority had estimated generation of funds amounting to Rs21 billion from the sale of its land.