CDA ordered to maintain status quo in allotment of 27 plots, Source

Islamabad

Justice Riaz Ahmad Khan of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) here on Monday issued stay orders directing the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to maintain status quo over the proposed allotment of 27 plots to bureaucrats, employees of the CDA and journalists in developed sectors — D-12 and I-8.

The court issued these orders after Advocate Ghulam Mehboob Khokhar filed a writ petition before the court based on news items published in ‘The News’ issue of June 22, 2012, and the daily ‘Jang’ issue of July 6, 2012, regarding the allotment of plots. The petitioner, while nominating the CDA through its chairman, director planning, director estate and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting through its secretary as respondents, challenged the said allotment while citing it discriminatory and against rules and regulations.

The court directed the respondents to submit their comments within twenty days. The petitioner adopted before the court that the CDA is planning to allot plots to its favourites in developed sectors of Islamabad, each costing about 25 to 30 million rupees. He was of the view that bureaucrats and CDA officials have been grabbing valuable plots at nominal prices against the merit policy, public interest and also against CDA regulations of 2005.

The petitioner adopted before the court that the said act of the CDA is unlawful, corrupt practice and needs to be declared void. As per CDA regulations, the employees of CDA have 5% quota while the civil servants of autonomous bodies have 10% quota and that too in under-developed schemes. Whereas in this particular matter, the allotments were going to be made in developed sectors. According to CDA rules, the allotment of plots should be made through open auction.

The petitioner told the court that the plots being allotted would be carved out in open spaces and green areas of developed sectors, which is another violation of CDA rules and regulations.

The petitioner prayed to the court to stop the civic authority from allotting these plots to bureaucrats, CDA employees and journalists and whatever allotments have to be made should be done through open auction.