CDA to launch four new residential sectors by year end

ISLAMABAD—The Capital Development Authority (CDA) will launch four new residential sectors by the end of this year, a CDA official said Thursday.
“The upcoming sectors include D-13, E-13, F-12 and G-12 each measuring 750 acres of land,” the official said. The land sharing agreements have already been made with the local people living in sectors D-13 and E-13 and the Authority was preparing layout plans for the launch of these sectors.
The sectors F-12 and G-12 would be developed by the Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation and the layout plans would be prepared by the Authority, he said. The Authority was also making efforts to restore 20 per cent quota for its employees in upcoming sectors, he said.
The sector G-12 would have a direct link with the motorway and new proposed Islamabad Airport through the Kashmir Highway, the official said. He boundary marks established by Survey of Pakistan would be verified by the Authority in all the upcoming sectors and the work on sectoral boundaries and plotting was in progress which would be completed soon.
The launch of F-12 and G-12 was a part of National Housing Policy approved by the federal government in 2001. Under the policy, the public sector would continue acting as facilitator in provision of developed sites and services.
The Authority was waiting for final approval of new land sharing formula which was expected to be approved in the upcoming meeting of the inter- ministerial committee for launching of eight new sectors by the end of next year. The committee, which had been appointed by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, includes Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Syed Safwanullah and Ghulam Sarwar Khan.
The official said this land-sharing formula had been devised on the pattern of Defence Housing Authority’s experience of acquiring land. He said no cash transaction would be involved in future land acquisition agreements and uniform application of the formula would benefit the land owners and remove any chances of post-agreement disputes.
The official said the formula, which prescribes modalities for land acquisition, would b put into effect after the committee’s endorsement, paving the way for progress of the plan. Under the proposed formula each land owner will be allotted 25 per cent of the land acquired from him after fully developing the land. The owner will pay only the development charges for the allotted portion.—APP