CDA Yet to Give Possession of I-15 Plots Even After 18 Years

The Capital Development Authority (CDA), despite the passage of an additional year, has been unable to initiate the process of granting possession to the allottees of Sector I-15. These individuals have been eagerly awaiting the allocation of their plots for several years. Under the leadership of Chairman CDA Capitan (r) Noor-ul-Amin Mengal, the current management has faced challenges in progressing with the development of Sector I-15, which serves as a clear illustration of their struggles. While the plots in Sector I-15 were allotted back in 2005, development activities have remained stagnant for an extended period due to various reasons. Earlier, there were assurances from city officials that possession handovers to plot owners would commence in June 2022. Subsequently, in November 2022, the CDA announced plans for the Prime Minister to present possession letters to a select group of allottees during a formal ceremony. A list of approximately 3,000 plots, prepared for possession in the three subsectors of I-15, was also published on the CDA website. Unfortunately, these plans have not materialized on the ground. Reports claim that approximately one hundred individuals had submitted applications to obtain possession in the aforementioned sector. Regrettably, they have yet to receive ownership of their plots as per the authority’s plans. CDA officials claim that the delay in granting possession is largely attributed to unresolved service-related issues. However, it has been disclosed that the CDA is contemplating a new approach to possession allocation. Specifically, they are considering partnering with the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) to manage possession transfers through online coordination, a departure from the traditional manual procedures. Officials assert that an agreement with NUST is in the works and once finalized, possession handovers to allottees will proceed. This, however, implies an additional indefinite waiting period for the concerned individuals. Sector I-15, spanning 746 acres and situated in Zone-I as per the Islamabad city master plan, was originally intended to be developed as a residential sector catering to low-income groups. The original land use plan envisioned the creation of 13,685 housing units, comprising 5,685 plots of varying sizes and 8,000 apartments. The infrastructure development contract was initially awarded to Al-Khan in 2006 on a design-construction basis, but the contract was terminated after the contractor defaulted. Following a bidding process, the Chinese firm CMEC submitted a bid of Rs54 billion, considerably higher than the CDA’s estimated cost of Rs14 billion. This bid, however, was rejected due to cost considerations. In June 2012, during former President Asif Zardari’s visit to China, an MoU was signed between the CDA and a consortium of CMEC and CRFG for the development of Sector I-15. However, objections from the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) and federal planning and finance divisions led to the expiration of the MoU in December 2012. Subsequently, the CDA Board opted to abandon the idea of constructing flats and instead opted to create more plots. By discarding the planned flats, the CDA increased the number of plots—each measuring 138 square yards—from 3,454 to 7,738.