ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister’s Islamabad Task Force Chairman Faisal Sakhi Butt in a recent meeting directed the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to submit a workable solution and a time frame for the development of Sector I-15 to overcome shortage of housing units in the federal capital. The development of I-15 sector, which includes five to six Marla plot apartments, was announced in 2005 and also includes construction of 8,000 flats for low-income groups.
The amount of Rs 1.4 million per flat was fixed at the time of the project’s announcement but it was axed when it was later realised the amount was too low. Around 8,000 allottees of the flats the CDA paid for their flats, only 2,700 have been reimbursed. Butt said the government is committed to providing affordable housing, especially to those from low-income groups and added that Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has given special directions for development of low-income housing schemes.
He said development of the stalled sector must restart without any further delay and the allied road infrastructure consisting of other link roads to these sectors should also be constructed. The opening of the residential units and new commercial centres will help discourage the trend of non-conforming use of residential buildings in developed sectors.
The CDA chairman, in a board meeting, has directed authorities concerned to form a committee to expedite work on the stalled sector and submit its report to the PM’s taskforce in a fortnight. The Engineering Wing of CDA working on the project will decide whether the tender should be floated or develop the sector through a public-private partnership.
