ISLAMABAD, Feb 2: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has failed to guard documents related to state as well as public property during the last about four years.

“As many as 600 files have gone missing from different departments like planning, administration, engineering and the estate office during the last four years. The missing files also included those related to new plans and approval for projects,” an official
in the civic agency told Dawn on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the press.

He added: “The files are missing and that is really a concern for the CDA management which is in a fix and undecided whom to approach for recovery of the record.”

Another official said the missing record included some important files of the planning division like the details about the award of contract of a shuttle service in F-5 and the land record of plot allottees in E-12, I-14, 16.

“There are new claimants in sector G-12 and this puts a question mark on the recordkeeping of the estate wing,” said the official close to the documentation process in the wing.

He said master files (often called primary files) carrying disagreement notes of senior officials relating to prime commercial buildings were also missing.

“There is no specific record of kiosk licences allotted to people on political basis during the last two years and the files are not there in the administration department,” a CDA board member said also requesting anonymity.

It is pertinent to mention that the prime minister on December 18 had also ordered an inquiry into the missing record of the CDA. But during the last one and a half month, no specific investigation has been conducted at any level.

“Even the current CDA management has not taken any action against the officials who failed to keep the files of their departments,” said another official at the Capital Development Authority.

However, CDA spokesman Ramzan Sajid said the number of missing files was not that big. “The issue was also raised by legislators during one of the National Assembly sessions and we have informed them that only files relating to the engineering
wing were lost.”

The spokesman maintained that CDA Chairman Syed Tahir Shahbaz had instructed all the members to keep the record of every file moving from one department to another. “There is a complete process to keep the record of files,” he claimed.

Asked about the missing files and the process of regenerating the record, he claimed: “We have generated record of a number of files after consulting all the officials.”

He said within a few weeks the issue would be resolved. He, however, could not say under what process the missing files would be traced.