Special incentives approved to strengthen CDA’s Planning Wing

Islamabad : A high-level meeting in the Capital Development Authority (CDA) decided to introduce practical and meaningful reforms to enhance performance of the ‘Planning Wing’ of the Authority on Wednesday.

The spokesman for the CDA said that the ‘Planning Wing’ is back-bone of the Authority but had remained understaffed and has failed to perform to its actual potential. “The real handicap has been lack of incentives in government sector for good planners to come and work for the CDA,” the spokesperson said.

The sources in the CDA also said that during a recent briefing at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat about the conditions in the Authority the Prime Minister Imran Khan issued directions to take appropriate steps to make the Authority a better service provider, enhance its planning and development abilities and take appropriate steps towards maintenance and improving the environment and general living conditions in the federal capital.

According to the proposed plan to make the Planning Wing of the CDA more efficient and vibrant today’s meeting finally approved creating a multi-layered ‘pyramid’.

“Earlier it was a top heavy arrangement where multiple officers were present at senior levels while at operational levels there was an acute shortage. The proposed plan suggests reduction in redundant directorates and expansion at levels of town planners and technical experts,” the spokesman for the Authority explained.

He said that the proposal also envisages focus on building contort and enforcement. “There is recommendation to have three sections of building control which would have a set up that would streamline disposal of pending applications,” the spokesman said.

“Similarly,” he said, “there would also be a ‘Directorate of Monitoring and Evaluation’, which would perform the role of enforcement,” he added.

The plan also includes proposal to offer ‘incentivized salaries’ for planning staff to encourage qualified technical experts to join and work for CDA.

“Additional salary coupled with a more decentralized working environment, where Planning Wing will be taking care of its own financial and HR matters is expected to give better results to end users,” the spokesperson said.

He said that currently building plans of housing societies and commercial areas face a lot of delay from ‘Building Control Section’’ (BCS). A detailed plan with posts and ‘Organogram’ has been prepared and financials have also been calculated. Sources in the Authority reveal that a new office on open plan design is proposed in Sector G-7 where quality services will be provided to citizens.

The CDA Chairman, Amir Ali Ahmed, who also is the Chief Commissioner of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), expressed hope that the latest reforms will ultimately bring about the desired improvements and results.

“We hope that these latest reforms in ‘Planning Wing’, coupled with ‘incentivized’ pay packages, better HR and redesigning the hierarchical setup under better service delivery oriented regulations will provide relief to citizens of Islamabad,” the chairman said.