ISLAMABAD: A parliamentarian panel on Tuesday grilled the management of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) over unjust spending of Rs 63 billion public money collected 40 years ago, to meet their own expenses.

The CDA had collected Rs 63 billion from public for development of E-12 and Park Enclave in posh areas of Islamabad in 1992 but did not deliver the plots to the allottees in the last 40 years.

The amount kept in consolidated account instead of sector accounts, and the CDA also consumed handsome interest on the big amount.

A sub-committee on Public Accounts Committee (PAC) took notice of the delay in development of the CDA sectors, despite taking development charges from the public long time ago.

Chairman CDA Amer Ali Ahmed and other officials admitted that they did not have any justification, but things were moving in the right direction.

Riaz Fatyana convened the meeting of the committee, and expressed its utter displeasure over the performance of the CDA in delivering services to the public at large.

Member Committee Munaza Hassan remarket that the CDA management enjoyed the public fund and interest on it, and public on the other hand faced hardship.

She said that the CDA must work for the safeguard of the interest of the public but it worked for the interest of the management.

She said various allottees must had expired in the wait for their plots.

Defending the CDA management, the chairman CDA said that they had set new criteria for allocation of the authority's fund.

He said now 60 percent of the total revenue will spend on development of the sectors, and 40 percent on other projects.

In the past, he said that ratio was 20 percent and 80 percent.

He said Park Enclave, E-12, I-12, and I-15 would be developed in the given contract period of four years.

The committee reduced the timeline till the next general election.

The committee also settled an audit objection of Rs 5 billion against Paradise City (Pvt) owned by individuals.

The audit objection was raised nine years ago and the CDA had stopped the process of issuance of NOC. The committee directed to resolve the NOC issue in 15 days. One of the directors of the company was presented before the meeting.

The CDA showed no resistance and blamed audit officials for making the audit objection.

The officials of the CDA gave assurance that the NOC would be given as soon as all formalities were met.

The audit official also did not pursue the para in the meeting.

Convener Committee further asked the CDA management to make OSD such officials who refused to give record for audit purposes in time.

The authority should maintain proper record and conduct DAC regularly.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020