ISLAMABAD – The Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) Thursday cancelled the offer letters issued the other day in a surreptitious manner to some 109 officials, including the officers working on deputation in the authority, for the allotment of lucrative residential plots in sectors I-8 and D-12.
A three-man committee comprising of CDA Member Estate Shaista Sohail, Member Planning and Design Syed Mustafain Ali Kazmi and Member Environment Kazim Niaz has also been constituted to formulate a comprehensive framework for the allotment of plots to officials of the Authority in the light of policy in vogue in this regard.
The chairman has also clarified that the offer letters meant for the allotment of plots to CDA officials issued on Wednesday has no legal consequences, as it was neither approved by the Chairman CDA nor he directed any of the officer of the civic agency to issue any such letters.
On January 9 (Wednesday), Director Estate Management-I Naveedul Haque issued some 109 offer letters for the allotment of plots to officers of BS-17, BS-18 and BS-19 in pursuance of an earlier balloting of the plots held in July 2012. The move caught the attention of CDA employees union that on Thursday strongly protested inside the premises of CDA Headquarters.
Hundreds of protesting CDA employees denied the entry of CDA officers to their offices and demanded immediate cancellation of offer letters.
Representatives of CDA union were of the view that plots were given in the presence of several stay orders of courts in this regard, while they also termed the move as tantamount to usurp the rights of CDA employees.
As many as 18 officers, out of total 109 who were issued offer letters, are working in the Authority on deputation. It has also been learnt that some of these 18 officers do not meet the defined criterion required to get a residential plot.
Such officials include DG Admin Laiq Ahmed Yousufzai, whose service in CDA is less than six-month, Director Sanitation Faisal Nisar, whose length of service is less than 10 years.
While, Director Estate Management-I Naveedul Haque, who had issued the offer letters, does not qualify to get a residential plot.
In year 2005, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has defined the eligibility criteria for allotment of plot to some officer/official working on deputation in CDA while disposing of a petition in this regard.
As per criteria, an officer/official having 10 years of service in some government’s department and one-year service in CDA would be eligible for a residential plot.
Though most of the officers and officials who were issued offer letters qualify for a residential plot, however, they are only the handpicked people as many other eligible officials are still waiting for their turn.
Earlier, on December 14, 2012, the Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has issued instructions that officers working in CDA would no longer be entitled to allotment of residential plots in Islamabad. However, the ban was imposed only on those officers who had joined the Authority after the said direction.
However, now city managers are of the view that three-men committee constituted on Thursday would formulate a comprehensive in this regard and further action will be taken in the light of provisions of that policy.