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CDA Land Misuse: Private Housing Scheme Sells Civic Agency’s Plot
A CDA-owned plot was illegally sold by a private housing scheme in Islamabad. Authorities are now cracking down on unapproved societies.
ND
by News Desk
2025-03-08
CDA Land Misuse: Private Housing Scheme Sells Civic Agency’s Plot

A reported case of a Capital Development Authority (CDA) plot being illegally sold by a private housing scheme has sparked serious concerns about land mismanagement in Islamabad. Officials fear this case may be just the tip of the iceberg, as CDA is yet to take possession of its transferred land in multiple housing societies.

Under CDA regulations, private housing schemes must transfer land reserved for amenities—including schools, hospitals, parks, and greenbelts—to the civic agency before obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NOC). However, CDA has not yet taken over many of these plots, raising fears that more land could be sold illegally.

Hospital Plot Sold Illegally

The issue came to light when a bona fide purchaser of a hospital plot in Tele Garden Housing Scheme (F-17) approached CDA for building plan approval. During the verification process, authorities discovered that the plot belonged to CDA, but had been sold illegally by the private housing scheme.

“This is a major injustice to the buyer, and we fear similar cases will surface soon,” said a CDA official. The civic agency has taken notice of the issue and is investigating the matter.

Crackdown on Illegal Land Sales

To prevent fraudulent allotments and land misuse, CDA has stressed the need for stricter enforcement of regulations introduced last year. Under these rules, housing societies must obtain CDA-vetted allotment letters before selling plots.

“If the hospital plot’s allotment letter had been vetted by CDA, this fraud could have been prevented at the very start,” explained a CDA deputy director.

Islamabad has witnessed several housing scams, where citizens paid for plots that were never handed over. Many societies have also misused amenity land originally reserved for green areas, mosques, and schools, a problem highlighted by the Senate Committee on Law and Justice in 2016.

CDA to Reclaim Amenity Plots

To prevent further land misuse, CDA has decided to take over amenity plots from private housing societies.

Recently, CDA Chairman Mohammad Ali Randhawa chaired a meeting instructing officials to create an inventory of all transferred but unclaimed plots. The chairman directed that all CDA-owned land be taken over immediately and placed under the Directorate of Estate Management III.

Currently, 65 approved housing schemes exist in Islamabad, but many have yet to transfer amenity plots to CDA. Additionally, over 100 housing societies are operating without proper authorization.

With land fraud cases rising, CDA’s proactive approach could be key to protecting citizens from further scams.
Tagged:

LandFraud

HousingSocieties

IslamabadHousing

CDALandScam
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