Reports of cancellation of layout plans perturb allottees

Islamabad:Reports of expected cancellation of layout plans of several housing societies in Islamabad by the Capital Development Authority (CDA), after the societies failed to carry out development work, have caused unrest among small investors, who had purchased files over the last many years.

Instead of binding housing societies to start and complete the development work, the development authority is now considering to cancel layout plans after the societies sold out hundreds rather thousands of plots files to the small investors.

A recent meeting with Chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Muhammad Ali Randhawa in chair, decided to cancel layout plans and NoCs of housing societies. The investors said that some housing societies particularly in Zone 5 of Islamabad Capital Territory after selling hundreds of files to the investors with connivance of property dealers are now considering selling their land to bigger housing schemes or merging with them.

There is an impression that cancellation of layout plans or NoCs would make the task easy for owners of such societies get out of CDA’s control and merge with bigger societies leaving small investors with no choice but lose hard-earned money.

Such decision also gives an impression that there is connivance between these housing societies and officers of CDA’s planning wing. An officer of the planning wing who had been involved in issuance of layout plans and NoCs to housing societies in Zone 5 in the last three years, said that they could take only one punitive action which is cancellation of permissions given to them.

Now officers of planning wing are suggesting the top management to cancel layout plans of inactive housing schemes. The development authority, also did not take any action when the housing societies continued to sell files not bearing any plot number.

A similar housing society located in Mouza Goramast of Zone 5 was given approval of layout plan but development work never kicked off there. Now there are reports that the management of housing scheme is considering to sell its land to an adjacent bigger housing scheme without any nod of the CDA.

According to the law, no housing society is authorised to sell more plots than approved in the layout plan. Legal action will be taken against housing societies selling plots and files without layout plan and map approval, including the cancellation of their layout plans and NOCs.

At the same meeting, the CDA management warned those promoting illegal housing societies and supplying them with construction materials to refrain from promoting or selling construction materials to any illegal housing society.

CDA Chairman also stated that protecting citizens’ interests is the institution’s responsibility, and illegal housing schemes will not be tolerated under any circumstances. He urged the citizens to utilize information available through the CDA's Planning Wing or on the CDA website before investing in any housing society established within the limits of Islamabad.

An official of CDA said that the planning wing had already issued show cause notices to various housing schemes for not fulfilling conditions of approval of layout plans and NoCs while further actions would also be taken. However, it was not mentioned as to how rights and interests of the investors would be protected. The first notice to a housing scheme was served during year 2011 while a final notice had been issued only two months back.