ISLAMABAD – In a clear violation of its own bylaws, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has allotted a 36-kanal land to a private firm for only Rs 3,500 per year in the name of shutter service, which included transport services in diplomatic enclave, Pakistan Today learned on Monday. Sources in the CDA told this scribe that by ignoring CDA Disposal Act, the directorate of Planning and Design made that joint venture with a private firm without getting any license from the department concerned. He said the lease was not awarded according to the PEPRA rules. A senior CDA official, the source said, was running the shutter bus service and was earning Rs 8 million per month through that “shady” deal.

According to the documents available with Pakistan Today, the CDA has started a joint venture with a private firm to provide transport facility to the people who visit the embassies of several countries located in the diplomatic enclave. Source further added that around 1,000 people visited the embassies daily and they had to use the said service paying Rs500 each for a short distance of merely 1.5 kilometres. According to the source, the private firm was earning Rs 8 million from the deal. Interestingly, the said project was approved by the directorate of Planning and Design of CDA instead of DMA directorate concerned. According to the CDA Disposal Act, it is necessary to get a license from the DMA directorate of CDA before leasing out any government land to any private body.

Otherwise it is obligatory to follow the PEPRA rules of auction to execute any similar plan. In the said deal, however, none of the due courses was taken.

The source said that a senior CDA official had made sure that the advertisement of the shutter service did not mention any transport service in it. “The said official was also successful in halting a possible legal proceeding against him which was planned by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA),” the source said. Earlier, the said official also had provided assistance to the ERRA chairman in getting 36-kanal land for building the American School there. The land was, however, surrendered later on after the Supreme Court had served a notice to the ERRA chairman.

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