Park Enclave Housing Project : CDA gives no plots despite collecting Rs5.6 bn

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has failed to complete the Park Enclave Housing Project despite the Supreme Court’s intervention and blames the delay on the stay orders.

Sources confided to The News that in a briefing to the Federal Ombudsman on delay in the completion of housing scheme, the CDA members took the plea that court cases were major impediment to the completion of the venture.

The same reason was cited by the former chairman CDA Sheikh Ansar Aziz while talking to The News.

The Supreme Court took notice of Oct 11, 2107 story published by The News titled “CDA housing scheme allottees left high and dry” and directed the CDA officials to submit their reply.

Following the orders, the civic agency submitted its response to the Human Rights Cell of the apex court.

The CDA, through attractive sloganeering, lured hundreds of people into applying for plots. However, despite collecting billions from the allottees at the market rate, the civic agency failed to acquire land.

Out of almost 650, more than 50 persons who were offered plots in 2011 and promised possession in 2013 are still not sure if the civic agency would fulfill its promise.

Despite its failure to give possession to all allottees of Park Enclave-I, the CDA in early 2015 launched Phase-II with the promise that possession (of plots) would be given in 12 months but the authority failed to even start any development work.

Unlike other sectors, Park Enclave was launched to beef up the CDA coffers. In 2011, one Kanal plot fetched Rs12 million. The price was revised to Rs17.5 million in 2014 for additional plots which were left unsold originally in Park Enclave-I.

The price of one Kanal plot for Park Enclave-II, as advertised in early 2015, was Rs22 million.

The CDA extended its two more phases and collected money from people without having physical possession of land for the project, it has been learnt on good authority.

The CDA announced the second phase of Park Enclave in December 2015. However, the process of giving possession to the owners of first phase is yet to be completed.

After failing to get possession of plots, a number of investors either want their money back or they have halted payments. Similarly, many investors are still waiting for the agency to follow through on its promise.

As per the CDA documents, the civic body received around Rs5.6 billion under the head of Park Enclave. However, it only spent Rs200 million on the project during 2016-17.

It is pertinent to mention here that the allottees of the first phase of Park Enclave project are still waiting to get possession of their plots. However, the CDA announced new phases and sectors to make more money.

Earlier, in October 2017, The News contacted former chairman CDA and Mayor of Islamabad Sheikh Ansar Aziz who confirmed that there was an issue in Park Enclave Phase-II and in some streets of Park Enclave Phase-I. However, he said the previous management of the CDA was responsible for these issues.

“The previous management is totally responsible for delay in giving possession of plots to the allottees.

The matter is now in courts. Let’s hope the court take any decision. It is true that there is problem in getting land possession in phase-II and in a few streets of phase-I, but we are trying to move the local residents of these areas to Kurri. As soon as we move them to Kurri, the issue will be resolved,” commented the mayor.