Row between CDA, RCB over demarcation of territorial limits

Islamabad : The exercise of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for fresh demarcation of the its territorial limits has started hitting snags as the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) has refused to accept claims of CDA on land in cantonment area.

In recent days, the personnel of the RCB also foiled attempts of the CDA officials to erect pillars on boundary between the federal capital and Rawalpindi Cantonment Board along I J Principal Road and G T Road.

The planning wing of the CDA claims that in the light of a survey using Google images, nearly 15,000 kanals of area in sectors I-12, I-14, Naseerabad area and some other locations along I J Principal Road and G T Road falls in limits of the federal capital. "We attempted to erect pillars at boundary of Islamabad and RCB but those were removed," an official of CDA said.

On the other hand, the official sources in RCB said the land on which the CDA was making its claims falls in limits of cantonment as per last national census while in voters list, the area exist in RCB.

The RCB official claimed that the dispute between CDA and cantonment board started during the year 2012 and resurfaced four years later.

However, he said a number meetings had taken placed between two sides and issue was hopefully was near resolution for which services of a third party would be required.

It may be pointed out here that on directives of the Supreme Court of Pakistan had directed the CDA to demarcate its territorial limits. For this purpose, the civic body had acquired services of Survey of Pakistan which was taking help from Google images to complete the task. " The survey of Capital limits has been completed while work on land survey of Islamabad Capital Territorial (ICT) limits is in progress," a CDA official told 'The News'.

He said in the light of survey, they have started demarcation of land while erecting pillars along I J Principal Road, Islamabad Highway and other areas.

He said that master plan of Islamabad was prepared for Capital limits which span over 906 square kilometers in early 1960s whereas ICT limits were defined in 1980 with area around 1,000 kilometers.