CDA announces various measures to facilitate public

Islamabad : The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has announced various new measures to facilitate the general public.

The measures include fixation of time lines for processing cases related to approval of building plans, issuance of NDCs and NOCs for property transfer, lease extension, building completion certificates etc.

The measures have been taken for the first time in history of CDA to provide maximum facilitation to general public through introduction of board approved timelines at One Windows Operations Directorate.

On directions of its Chairman, CDA is in process to provide online services to its clients on doorsteps and a system in this regard is being finalised in collaboration with NADRA, which should become functional within a few weeks. Member Admin and Finance, Member Planning and Design and Member Estate CDA accordingly held a press briefing on directions of CDA Chairman at convention Centre here on Wednesday to inform the media about new developments. Members of CDA Board informed the media persons that according to newly approved procedures, the cases for lease extension regarding Industrial agro, commercial, institutional, hospital, schools plots will be completed within five days. Cases for transfer of properties situated in the settled sectors will be completed within 10 working days form the date of submission of request at One Window Directorate. Transfer of property in the affectees sectors will be completed in 28 working days. According to new measures NoC from revenue directorate, earlier required for transfer of property, will be no more required as last paid tax and other dues certificate and bill will be considered enough. The cases for bifurcation of residential and commercial plots will be completed within 17 working days while cases for bifurcation and amalgamation of industrial plots will be completed within 18 working days. During the briefing it was further informed that cases for trade change of Industrial plot will be completed within 17 days.

While briefing the media, it was also informed that procedures pertaining to Building Control Directorate will also be time line based. In this connection, approval of building plans of residential houses will be accorded in eleven working days, however, in case of any observation, applicant will be conveyed within seven days.

Similarly, building plans of small buildings including Class –III shopping centers, industrial buildings and Agro Farms etc, where design vetting committee is not involved, will be finalized in 16 working day it meeting of Design Vetting Committee will be held twice in the month for approval building plans of mega projects in the commercial centers including marakiz and blue area etc. It was further informed that previously, there was no defined time line for Issuance of NOC required for transfer of property, which has now been fixed within 5 days.

the briefing it was further informed that procedure for issuance of completion certificate has also been time line based. In this connection, completion certificate for residential building will be issued in 13 days, completion certificate of small buildings in 19 working days while completion certificates of other buildings will be issued in 27 working days. In order to address the issue of fake allotment and other letters, it was informed that security and bar code based stamp papers having unique numbers would be used for the purpose, which will permanently resolve the issue.

Member Admin and Finance said that previously, there was no defined time line for these procedures due to which public was facing difficulty on one side while there was in-adequate mechanism to fix the responsibility of delay. He said that by the new measures unnecessary involvement of files rotation from table to table has been eliminated. He further said that monthly monitoring of these procedures would be carried out and performance of individuals right from top hierarchy to bottom will be evaluated which will be ultimately reflected in annual performance reports of the officers. He further said that CDA is in contact with Nadra for early initiation of biometric verification to make transfer process foolproof and transparent. Similarly, digitalization of data and official files will also be in effect soon through Nadra.

Answering a question, Member Admin and Finance said that while devising these measures, input from all concerned officers and officials was obtained so that these could be made result oriented.