ISLAMABAD: The Planning Wing of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has faced several challenges as it has not been extended in scope and manpower despite multiple decisions to equip it to meet contemporary challenges.
The non-implementation of board decisions has also caused unrest among officers of the planning wing who are complaining of overwork and delays in promotions.
This has hampered several essential functions of the civic agency, such as the planning for new sectors, implementation of the master plan, regulation of housing societies, and creative planning work.
According to CDA officials, the planning wing has been suffering from a shortage of manpower and overburdened officers.
Only one director was supposed to do the planning work in the entire rural area, from Tarnol to the border of Murree.
Similarly, only one director was heading the urban planning division for the urban areas.
The officials said that the scope of the work has increased manifold since the 1970s, but the Directorate Urban Planning-II approved in 1995 was not notified till today.
Meanwhile, the post approved in 2018 for monitoring housing societies was still inactive.
The Planning Wing, one of the authority’s most essential departments, has no Director General (DG).
Only one Director of grade-19 has been performing as a Deputy Director General. All directorates, including Regional Planning, Master Planning, Urban Planning, and Housing Societies, are being run by deputy directors whose promotions have been pending for years.
Furthermore, the Departmental Promotion Committee of one officer had already been held, but he was not promoted yet.
Meanwhile, there is an officer who was declared eligible for grade-19 by the Federal Public Service Commission, but he was not promoted even though the CDA high-ups summoned him twice for an interview in 2005-6.
The Planning Wing officers have submitted a representation to Member Planning, requesting the notification of board-approved directorates and steps for the promotion of officers.
Member Planning Waseem Hayat Bajwa has assured that the directorates, which had been approved by the board, will be notified, and all eligible officers will be promoted. The CDA Chairman Noorul Amin Mengal has also promised to hold a meeting of the planning wing to resolve these issues.
In conclusion, the Planning Wing of the CDA is facing several challenges due to the non-implementation of board decisions, shortage of manpower, and pending promotions.
This has caused unrest among officers, affecting the essential functions of the civic agency. The CDA high-ups need to take necessary measures to address these issues and equip the Planning Wing to meet contemporary challenges.
