ISLAMABAD: Authorities in Islamabad and Rawalpindi are working to legally rectify unauthorized building plan approvals in each other’s territories due to ambiguous boundary lines. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) have faced this issue mainly near the Grand Trunk (GT) Road, Kotha Kalan, Sohan, and Faizabad areas.
Historically, the entire area where the Federal Capital is now located was part of Rawalpindi. Although most of the land was acquired by the CDA and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), the Rawalpindi Revenue Department still manages some Islamabad estates’ records.
A committee led by CDA’s member planning, Waseem Hayat Bajwa, convened at the CDA headquarters to address the issue. The committee was informed that the CDA board had empowered them to examine the issue on a case-by-case basis.
CDA officials noted that until 2018, there was confusion about the boundaries of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, resulting in the RDA approving several building plans within Islamabad’s limits. A 2018 Survey of Pakistan marked Islamabad’s boundaries and revealed that Rawalpindi had approved plans for several projects within Islamabad’s jurisdiction.
The CDA board established a committee and set December 31, 2022, as the deadline for any building constructed after this date not to be considered for legalization. The committee decided to assess the cases individually after its initial meeting.
An official shared that if the RDA approved a building plan within Islamabad’s limits, the fee charged by the RDA should be transferred to the CDA’s account and governed by the CDA’s by-laws. Conversely, if the CDA approved a building plan in Rawalpindi, the fee should be allocated to the relevant Rawalpindi departments.
The official noted that addressing the issue of overlapping boundaries and incorrect building plans is a positive step towards permanently resolving the issue. He suggested that the committee should also direct the transfer of pending revenue records from Rawalpindi to Islamabad to ensure smooth operations.
Source: DAWN
