ISLAMABAD: The Survey of Pakistan is all set to launch a cadastral survey of Islamabad to identify original built-up properties (BUP) in civic agency’s acquired sectors.

The exercise will help the Capital Development Authority (CDA) identify original BUP cases in the acquired sectors.

The decision was taken at a meeting held between CDA Chairman Amer Ali Ahmed and Surveyor General of Pakistan Maj Gen Shahid Pervaiz at the CDA headquarters. CDA Member Planning Dr Shahid Mahmood and other concerned officers were also present.

Sources said both the sides discussed various aspects for the cadastral survey, which was going to be carried out on the directions of Prime Minister Imran Khan. Under the plan, the Survey of Pakistan will digitise the cadastral map.

A town planner working with the CDA said cadastre was a land record available on a piece of cloth which was commonly known as latha. The government wants to get digitised this latha for proper identification of revenue record in the form of geographic data as a coordinate. This digital data will be helpful for the citizens as well as government offices for proper identification of land. The survey will also be helpful for the CDA in checking fake BUP claims in its acquired sectors.

Digitised data will be helpful to citizens, govt depts for proper identification of land, official says

Meanwhile, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was also signed between the two sides. The sources said the Survey of Pakistan had been tasked by Prime Minister Imran Khan with carrying out the cadastral survey of various cities, including Islamabad.

The Survey of Pakistan would start the cadastral mapping of Islamabad from G-6 soon and was likely to complete it in a month. Later, the survey will be taken to G-12, E-12 and H-16.

When contacted, CDA spokesperson Syed Safdar Ali said the Survey of Pakistan was going to carry out the cadastral mapping of Islamabad on the direction of the prime minister.

“But we also signed an agreement with the Survey of Pakistan for carrying out a separate survey for the CDA.” He said after the survey, the civic agency would be in a position to ascertain real cases of BuP.

“For examples, we acquired a number of sectors in 2008 whose built-up cases are still pending due to litigation or controversies. The survey will help us identify the original BUPs.”

He said the pending BUP cases were a major hurdle in development of new sectors.

“Technically speaking, the award of the land and BuP should be held on same day but in the CDA both awards were held separately that resulted in new constructions by local people to get more BuP claims. Now, the CDA has decided that in future both the awards will be announced simultaneously.”

He also said after the survey the issue of fake BuP cases and corruption by approval of such cases would end.

The sources said the CDA wanted to carry out a complete survey of G-12, H-16, E-12 and I-17 on a priority basis.

Because of poor planning, encroachment and pending BuP cases, scores of sectors remained stalled for years. These included C-13, C-14, C-15, C-16, H-16, I-17, F-13, E-13, D-13, E-12, Kurri model villages and Park Enclave II.

Published in Dawn, January 11th, 2020