ISLAMABAD: The city administration has yet to decide how to run the Club House, a sports and recreation facility located in F-6.

The Club House building was inaugurated last year by mayor and acting Capital Development Authority (CDA) chairman Sheikh Anser Aziz, but since its inauguration the authority has not taken any measures to bring in equipment and utilise the building.

On Friday, Mayor Aziz met with the concerned officials to discuss various options for opening the project’s door to the public.

Building for the proposed sports and recreation facility was inaugurated last year, but is yet to be utilised

He said two options were discussed; whether the CDA should run the facility or if it should be outsourced. A decision has not been taken yet.

The Club House is a three storey building that covers 138x66 square yards. It will include facilities such as a gym for men, a conference hall, a dining hall, changing rooms, a children’s play area and a sports shop.

Sources said another meeting will be held next Friday to discuss the two proposals.

The mayor said agreed that the new building has been abandoned, but said a decision would be reached soon. A source said the CDA intends to outsource operation and maintenance of the project.

Some CDA officials have raised concerns about the authority’s intent with regards to outsourcing the project. They said that in the past, the CDA has outsourced facilities such as Monal Restaurant and the Diplomatic Shuttle Service, and the authority also leased over 60 acres in Lake View Park at nominal rates, but these facilities have not benefited the public.

A CDA official said: “The deals to outsource the facility should be held in a transparent mannert; it should not be for vested interests.”

A revised project concept-1 amounting to Rs112.6 million was approved in 2014 and the building was completed last year.

Citizen’s Club

Like the Club House, the Citizen’s Club project in F-9 Park has also been delayed, with 5pc of the construction yet to be completed.

In 2010, when the Citizen Club structure – spread over 20 acres of land – was nearly complete, the Supreme Court had declared it illegal.

In its judgement, the court had said the facility was illegal and would only serve elites.

“As a huge amount has already been spent, the CDA, with the approval of the federal government, instead of abandoning the project, may utilize the building and other facilities for any public welfare project, like women university, medical/engineering college, science, technology or IT institution, etc,” the court judgement had said. It appears the authority then lost interest in the project, as it is still incomplete.

When contacted, CDA Member Planning Asad Mehboob Kayani said the incumbent management is focused on the project, and only 5pc remains to be completed.

He said: “95pc of the work has already been completed. In the next two months, the project will be fully complete.”

He added that once completed, the CDA will decide how to use the building in light of the SC order.

Libraries and gym facilities

In 2007, the CDA undertook a joint venture with the Department of Libraries to set up libraries and gyms in various sectors, including G-7, G-8, F-11, I-10 and G-11.

The CDA was supposed to run the gyms, most of which are now neglected and abandoned due to damaged equipment.

Mr Kayani claimed that in addition to opening the Club House, gyms in various sectors will also be made fully operational.

He said: “Yes, the [gym and libraries] project, because of negligence of our staff, is lying abandoned. But we will make it fully operational.”

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2017