Park Enclave, Islamabad

Park Enclave is a housing scheme in Zone-IV of Islamabad launched by Capital Development Authority in July 2011. It is located approximately 9 km (15 minutes) drive from Islamabad Club and approx. 3 km (7 minutes) drive from Chak Shahzad, at the intersection of Park Road and Kuri Road. The enclave has convenient access from Kashmir Highway, Lehtrar Road & Islamabad Highway.

This is first housing project in 20 years after Supreme Court of Pakistan granted the permission for development in Zone-IV of the federal capital.

Project details

As per Capital Development Authority, the project is divided into two phases. In Phase-1, there are 700 plots measuring one kanal (500 square yards) each while in Phase-2 of the project another 600 plots measuring one kanal (500 square yards) each will be offered.[1]

For the first time, Capital Development Authority is introducing water metering and billing through digital metering as a pilot project. It would also be equipped with Broadband (Telecom, TV & Internet) having Fiber to the home (FTTH) network for all type of communications.[2]

Project timeline

Applications for allotment

  1. In July 2011, applications for allotment of plots were invited.

Pre-qualification

  1. In November 2011, Capital Development Authority approved the pre-qualification of four construction companies for the design and development work of Park Enclave. The decision was reportedly taken on the recommendation of NESPAK, which was hired by CDA as consultant for the project. The companies are Habib Rafiq (Private) Limited, Saadullah Khan and Brothers (SKB) (Private) Limited, MAAKSON (Private) Limited and Echo West (Private) Limited.
  2. In December 2011, Transparency International (TI) raised objections over pre-qualification process and wrote a letter to the CDA chairman to ensure transparency in award of contract. According to the TI’s letter, the authority had been asked to form a committee to ascertain the objections raised by three construction firms—Ghulam Rasool & Company, Mohammad Ayub Brothers and Matracon.[3] The letter alleged that the CDA and NESPAK had made a cartel for awarding the contract to MAAKSON Ltd.
  3. In February 2012, Capital Development Authority constituted a three member committee to look into the concerns about the tendering process of the Park Enclave project.[4] This was in response to the questions raised by the Transparency International (TI), the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Development

  1. A showcase inaugural ceremony of the development of Park Enclave was held on February 20, 2012. It was staged to show the applicants that CDA is moving ahead towards its promises. But unfortunately it was a failure and the affectees of Park Enclave land (from Kurri village) staged a massive protest and sabotaged the "showcase" inaugural ceremony. The chairman of the Prime Minister’s Task Force Faisal Sakhi Butt and CDA Chairman Farkhand Iqbal attended the ceremony, and later had to escape from the scene to save them from protesters.[5]

Controversy

Transparency International Pakistan has asked the Capital Development Authority to explain why prime location plots in its Park Enclave Project have been allotted to politicians and other influential personalities.[6]

The TIP has inquired from the chairman CDA that CDA collected approx Rs2 billion from Park Enclave but utilised it on other projects and administrative expenses and has therefore delayed the project.

Transparency International Pakistan had received a complaint against CDA project, “Park Enclave” and the complainant has alleged that:

  1. CDA launched Park Enclave right at the time when Bahria Town launched its Bahria Enclave project. CDA set a price Rs12 million per plot compared to Rs6 million of Bahria Enclave. A key reason of CDA for charging double the price was a number of features and an attractive layout plan offered in the brochure and the website.
  2. CDA had committed to hand over the plot in 18 months, however even after a lapse of one year it has not carried out any development activity in the Park Enclave.
  3. CDA collected approximately Rs2 billion from Park Enclave but utilised it on other projects and administrative expenses of CDA. Now, after a lapse of one year, CDA has changed the layout plan unilaterally and most of the attractive features have been omitted.
  4. CDA has allotted (through fixed balloting) all the prime location plots to politicians and other influential personalities including a journalist and rest of the applicants have been thrown in depression and in a land across the nullah (which was not in the original plan).

The chairman CDA has been requested to look into the matter and if found correct/genuine, take necessary action under the law in benefit of the citizens, and respond to TIP also.

See also

  1. Capital Development Authority
  2. National Engineering Services Pakistan
  3. Developments in Islamabad
  4. Transparency International

References

  1. ↑ http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=45063&Cat=6&dt=5/4/2011
  2. ↑ http://www.cda.gov.pk/cda-latest/files/news.asp?var=239
  3. ↑ http://www.dawn.com/2012/02/09/park-enclave-process-to-award-contract-being-probed.html
  4. ↑ http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2012/02/cda-to-probe-park-enclave-tendering-process-anomalies/
  5. ↑ http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=93815&Cat=2
  6. ↑ http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-2-123214-TIP-asks-CDA-why-plots-were-given-to-influential

External links

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