ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) will meet today to approve locations for international cricket and a football stadiums in the federal capital as well as formulate a policy to rent out plots to private schools under strict criteria.

Sources said that for the cricket and football stadiums, two sites (20 acre each) have been proposed near Motorway (MI) and Kuri. The decision about these sites will be made during the meeting chaired by Noorul Amin Mengal, which will take up a 28-point agenda.

Last year, the CDA proposed a stadium in Saidpur. But the idea was dropped later on. Similarly in 2012, CDA and the Pakistan Cricket Board joined hands for the construction of a stadium but the project was scrapped by the Supreme Court in 2018 as it was being built in Skharparian which falls in the national park area.

According to sources, the CDA’s planning wing proposed a site of 20 acre in the Kuri area for the football stadium. CDA officials told Dawn that having a cricket stadium in the capital was a “need of the hour”. However, they said Islamabad had one of the best football stadiums in the Sports Complex. They said that besides exploring new sites, the CDA should also look if it could help the sports board upgrade the Jinnah Stadium. Some years ago, Pakistan successfully hosted the South Asian Women Football Championship at the Jinnah Stadium.

Civic agency to take up rent policy for private schools

Rent policy for schools

The board meeting will also discuss a policy related to plots for private schools. Earlier, the CDA used to auction its plots, but this time the civic agency “wants to rent out its schools plots to private school operators to shift the existing schools from residential areas”.

The CDA officials said that schools registered with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE), and the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (Peira) will be considered.

The plots will be rented out on the basis of a 100 points formula, said the CDA chairman.

Mr Mengal told Dawn that the CDA was going to introduce a rental policy for schools to end the non-conforming use of residential houses.

There is no truth in reports that the policy is aimed at facilitating major school chains, rather schools that charge less fees and those operating in the residential areas will be real beneficiaries of this policy, he added.

Sources confirmed that the schools, which are charging up to Rs5,000 fees per month will be eligible to have 25 marks while schools charging Rs5000-6000 monthly fees will get 20 marks.

“We have 100 qualification marks and schools charging up to 5000 per month will get 25 marks and those operating in residential areas will get 20 marks,” the chairman said, adding that those schools, which will get CDA’s plot on rent will be bound to raise their fee around four per cent after a year (12pc after three year) “as we want to provide relief to parents” as well.

It is relevant to note here, as per existing rules, the civic agency cannot rent out its plots, but it is supposed to auction plots. An official said, if said summary is approved by the board, then CDA will go for amendments to the Islamabad Land Disposal Regulations.

During the meeting, the board will also consider CDA’s proposal of auctioning vending points and shops in art and craft villages, matters relating to parking plazas, and revised layout plan of sectors C-16 and C-17 will also be taken up.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2023