ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Tuesday approved formation of the first-ever Capital Mass Transit Authority (CMTA) mainly to run the Metro Bus Service from Peshawar Mor to the Islamabad International Airport (IIA).

However, the lifting of a ban on new utility connections for unauthorised construction was referred to a committee to finalise recommendations.

The CMTA will be run by a 13-member board to be headed by the chairman of the CDA. Sources said until the authority is formed, the civic agency will continue efforts to procure buses for the service.

The Ministry of Interior recently approved a PC-I worth Rs1.9 billion prepared by the CDA for procuring 30 buses, management and maintenance of the service.

Refers lifting of a ban on new utility connections for unauthorised construction to a committee for recommendations

Sources said on the direction of Prime Minister Imran Khan the CDA prepared the PC-1 to start the process for procuring buses. But according to the CDA Ordinance 1960, there is no provision for the civic agency to run a bus service. The sources said to remove the lacuna, the CDA through the interior ministry moved a summary to the cabinet for setting up the CMTA.

The chairman of the National Highway Authority (NHA) will be the vice chairman of the board while the inspector general of police Islamabad, the chairman of Islamabad Transport Authority, officers of the climate change, finance and interior ministries will be its members. The CDA member planning, a member from the Planning Commission and two members from private sectors will also be part of the board.

The authority will own, control, maintain and develop a corridor, stations, depot and any other ancillary facility, which are transferred to it by the government or any other entity. It will also plan, construct, operate and maintain the corridors for future expansion. The authority will also enter into contracts, including concession agreements, grant licence, leases, make other arrangements and perform all tasks necessary for its functioning.

According to a handout issued by the government, the cabinet also took up the issue of ban on utility connections. The cabinet discussed the issue imposed by the then cabinet in 2004 and subsequent decisions of the Supreme Court and Islamabad High Court regarding utility connections. It said the cabinet formed a committee headed by the law minister to finalize recommendations in 60 days.

The CDA a few years ago asked the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines (SNGPL) and Islamabad Electricity Supply Company (Iesco) not to issue new connections anywhere in Islamabad without the non-objection certificate (NOC) from the civic agency.

While the CDA issues NOC only for its residential sectors where buildings and houses are constructed after approval of building plans, it meant the entire rural population where CDA almost never passed building plans could not get new utility connections.

This action of the CDA created problems for thousands of people in the rural and semi-rural areas in getting new connections for their already constructed houses.

The federal cabinet on May 19, 2004, had imposed the ban on new connections without NOC from the CDA. The cabinet had stated: “Wapda, SNGPL, PTCL shall henceforth not provide connections in Zone-2, 3 and 4 (of Islamabad) unless an NOC has been obtained from CDA.”

Section 12(5) of the CDA Ordinance 1960 stated: “No planning or development scheme shall be prepared by any person or by any local body or agency except with the concurrence of the authority (CDA).” However, CDA did not take any action to stop unauthorised construction in rural areas. Even the civic agency had no mechanism to approve building plans in the rural areas.

In 2017, the Supreme Court and the Islamabad High Court also directed the utility companies not to entertain applications for new connections for unauthorised buildings. But by that time because of negligence of the CDA thousands of buildings had been constructed in rural areas.

Sources said ruling party MNAs from Islamabad - Asad Umar, Ali Nawaz Awan and Raja Khurram Nawaz – have been making efforts to resolve the issue.

The sources said the cabinet also discussed a report prepared by the CDA on encroachment made by defence institutions on Margalla Road. The sources said in its report the CDA informed the cabinet that the institutions had approached the CDA to resolve the issue of encroachment and building plans.

“The CDA report said they [defence organisations] have agreed to get their building plan approved from the CDA and will remove encroachment from the state land,” said a cabinet member, requesting not to be named.

Besides, sources said, there are over 100 government buildings constructed in Islamabad without approval of their building plans.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2020