KP government accused of delaying New Balakot City project: Senate body briefed

Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) on Thursday revealed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government's lack lustre attitude is responsible for the 10-year delay in the implementation of New Balakot City project estimated to cost Rs 13.5 billion. The Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat met with Senator Muhammad Talha Mehmood in the chair at Capital Development Authority (CDA) headquarter, Islamabad. Senators Kalsoom Perveen, Osman Saif-ullah Khan, Najma Hamed and others also participated in the meeting.
While briefing the Senate body, Acting Deputy Chairman ERRA Brigadier Abu Bakr Amin Bajwa said, "We can complete New Balakot City project within two-years if the KP government hands over the land to the ERRA. We have held several meetings with the Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for acquisition of land, but after the passage of 10 years no progress has been made in this regard."
Acting Deputy Chairman ERRA said that if the KP government hands over land to ERRA today, we can complete New Balakot City project within two years. The Committee can impose penalty on us if we do not complete it in the stipulated timeframe. He said the contractor has completed its development work and waiting the remaining land for acquisition. He said the victims of 8th October 2005 earthquake are still living without a roof over their heads and waiting for the development of the new Balakot City. He said the project was launched in 2007 at Bakrial, 20km south of old Balakot City and 15km north of Mansehra and was to be completed in 2010.
Well-placed sources in the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms told Business Recorder that the federal government paid Rs 1.5 billion to KP government for acquisition of land, but despite passage of 10 years, it has still not been able to take possession of the land due to lack of interest and mismanagement.
They said that the exchequer is facing a loss of billions of rupees due to a 10-year delay in the implementation of New Balakot City project at an estimated cost of Rs 13.5 billion. The sources said that cost of the project has escalated by 50 percent due to delay in its implementation and urged the federal government to take the project seriously and ask the KP government to vacate the required land from the occupants to expedite the development work.
While discussing illegal housing societies in Islamabad, Committee Chairman Senator Talha Mehmood said that as many as 109 housing societies are illegal and they have not obtained No Objection Certificate (NOC). He claimed that the CDA officials are involved in it. He said that Ghori Town housing society, in which scores of poor people have purchased plots, has not obtained NOC and thus is illegal. He asked what CDA was doing when illegal housing societies started functioning.
The CDA officials maintained that their department is taking action against the housing societies and they would try to protect the affected victims. The officials said that management offices of Ghori Town housing society have been sealed. The Secretary Cabinet said that Federal Investigating Agency (FIA) should conduct inquiry of this matter. The Committee Chairman sought a comprehensive report and a list of CDA officials who are involved in this matter within 15 days.
A CDA official told the Committee that as many as 126 inquiries are on-going while 40 inquires have been completed on various issues. The Committee Chairman also claimed that CDA had provided thousands birth certificates to Afghan couples and now their children are Pakistani nationals. He said that 50 % incidents of terrorism have occurred due to NADRA's provision of Computerised National Identity Cards to afghan people, who can now enter Pakistan freely without any check.
The Committee also discussed the issue of Citizen Club Islamabad. The CDA official told the Committee that Rs 1 billion has been spent on this project while Rs 800 million more is required to complete it. The Committee decided to visit the building of Citizen Club Islamabad which is situated at F-9 Park.