CDA plans housing projects for expats to attract dollars

ISLAMABAD: In a bid to attract foreign investment into the country, the federal government is looking towards the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to launch new housing schemes for expatriates to boost country’s dollar reserves.

The civic body has prepared a presentation which would likely be given to the prime minister on Thursday (today) in light of his directives pertaining to these housing projects.

Sources said the CDA was planning to develop Gandhara Enclave – a housing project which falls in Zone I and partially in Zone III – and the Kuri housing scheme. Similarly, the civic body will also brief the government about the revenue potential from the under-construction Nilor Heights housing project.

CDA Chairman Mohammad Usman and his team will give a presentation on the schemes, sources said, adding that the auction of some commercial plots will also come under discussion. They said both schemes have the potential to generate billions of rupees in revenue.

Auction of commercial plots also on the cards

In its briefing, the CDA would also inform the federal government that if it wanted to develop Gandhara Enclave on more than 5,000 kanals, then the civic body would need to acquire more land falling in Zone III. Under the current zoning regulations, construction in Zone III is not allowed. However, the CDA is reportedly working on amending these regulations.

Similarly, the sources said in the first phase, the Kuri housing scheme could be developed on 10,000 kanals. They said it would be one of the largest schemes if everything went as per the plan. Sources said the Kuri scheme could turn out to be a “complicated matter because of chronic and unsettled issues with the locals” also known as affected persons.

The CDA had acquired the land decades ago but after announcing the award, no serious step was taken for the development of the Kuri model village. The civic body officials said thousands of housing units could be constructed as part of this scheme.

The officials said after paying compensation and built-up property claims, the civic agency would have around 2,000 acres of land worth billions of rupees. However, the civic agency never made any serious effort to settle issues with locals to get land’s possession. The officials said an initial survey had shown 1,100 occupants on the said land, but in 2011 the number had risen to 7,000.

At that time, the CDA officials in connivance with locals added many bogus cases to the list of land ownership claims. Later, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) probed the matter and cleared 3,422 ownership cases.

The CDA officials said the civic agency had acquired the land in 1968 while the built-up-property award was announced in 1971. But the CDA failed to take possession of the land after removing the objections raised by locals. In 2009, the civic agency announced a revised built-up property award, but due to allegations of bogus claims, it could not resolve the issue.

“Since the federal government has been supporting CDA, we will deliver and will launch at least two housing schemes, with a focus on apartments,” a CDA official said. He added that the plots would be sold to developers and investors who will be asked to build apartments.