Hurdles no more in way of executing development plans for capital, says mayor

Islamabad

Islamabad Mayor Shaikh Anser Aziz sees no hurdles in the way of executing his plans for the development of the federal capital and addressing problems of the masses once he had assumed additional charge of Chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

“To relieve bureaucracy of charge of CDA was a bold and landmark decision taken by the Prime Minister and the unprecedented measure will go a long way in resolving long-standing issues being faced by Islamabad,” Sheikh Anser Aziz said while speaking at the ‘Meet the Press’ programme of the National Press Club here Sunday.

The Mayor of Islamabad was accompanied by deputy mayors Zeeshan Naqvi and Chaudhry Rifaat Javed.

He observed prior to Prime Minister’s decision to give him charge of the CDA chairman, there were many hurdles in working of the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) also but now all issues are over.

He made it clear that while carrying out development plans for the federal capital, there would be no discrimination between urban and rural areas.

At the same time, he pointed out it is wrongly assumed that the CDA was a rich organisation saying that when he took charge of the office of chairman, he was told there were Rs250 million in civic body’s kitty which were even not sufficient for next month’s salaries.

He said the CDA would also announce a new residential sector in Islamabad within the next one month in order to generate revenue and create more housing opportunities besides resolving outstanding problems of stalled sectors like D-12 and E-12. He mentioned that the projects under the IMC, would be initiated only when the metropolitan corporation gets development funds.

Talking about his priority as Mayor of Islamabad and CDA chairman, Shaikh Anser Aziz said his top most priority would be to address water supply problems being faced by residents of different sectors particularly during the summer season.

In this regard, he said besides expediting work on completing formalities for the supply line from Ghazi Brotha, he had also issued directive for the immediate repair and maintenance of all the non-functional tube-wells, filtration plants and water tankers.

For this purpose, the mayor said, he had also ordered release of Rs12.5 million for the water supply directorate. “During the last few months, the CDA management had released no funds for the water supply directorate because they knew that the directorate will be handed over to the IMC,” he said.

He said the CDA and IMC were also chalking out plans for revamping and upgrading 60-year infrastructure whether it is sewerage or water supply pipelines or roads and streets.

Another priority as Islamabad Mayor and CDA chairman, Shaikh Anser Aziz said, would be to take action against land mafia and encroachers in urban and rural areas of the capital.

To start with, he said he himself had conducted a survey of posh F-6 sector for the operation against encroachers. “We will not go ahead in a haste rather the whole exercise will be done under a planning,” he said.

Prior to taking any action, the IMC and CDA would issue notices, display banners giving timeframe for removal of encroachments and would also hold meetings with the traders community to seek their cooperation in success of the operation.

Shaikh Anser informed that the Prime Minister had also directed for establishment of an Islamabad Building Control Authority which would be responsible for approving layout plans for the housing societies and plans of commercial and residential buildings.

He said that he had also directed the environment wing to improve condition of public parks and children’s playing grounds. “We will create committees of locals to be headed by chairman of respective union councils to take care of these public parks and playgrounds,” he said.

President National Press Club Shakil Anjum assured cooperation of the journalist community in development and beautification of Islamabad.