Capital transformation into model city anticipated with CDA gets civic depts back

ISLAMABAD, Oct 11 (DNA) : The local Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) Sunday said the government’s move of transferring the key civic departments to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) would mark a new beginning of transforming Islamabad into a model city under the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Welcoming the initiative, they said the initiative had enabled the government to carry out long-awaited development work for restoring the past beauty and glory of the federal capital.

The Interior Ministry has recently handed over four departments including water, sanitation, and environment again to the CDA reportedly on the request of Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz to ensure smooth functioning of the civic bodies.

Talking to APP, MNA Raja Khurram Shehzad Nawaz said this step would bring all the civic departments under the umbrella of the CDA and ensure a clean and green environment in the city in line with the vision of the Prime Minister.

He said the condition of roads, solid waste system, streetlights and footpaths got deteriorated during the past years as Mayor Islamabad was only politicking instead of resolving the civic problems. No development work was carried out even in a single Union Council (UC) of Islamabad by the Metropolitan Corporation of Islamabad (MCI), functioning under the chairmanship of Sheikh Anser.

“It was the public who borne the brunt of his politics and slackness,” he added.

In such a situation, he said the departments were given back to the CDA to ensure the welfare of the citizens by fulfilling their water needs and timely lifting of garbage from sectoral areas.

He said the government had restarted multiple projects which remained in limbo for the last fifteen years. The work on Ghazi-Barotha water supply project would be initiated soon to resolve the water woes of the city residents. Other projects of road infrastructure development were also on the cards to improve the traffic system in the city.

So far, the MNA said the government had spent Rs 1.5 billion on improving the living standard of the people living in the capital’s rural areas. The initiatives included roads constructions, carpeting of streets and others.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on CDA Affairs Ali Nawaz Awan said the government was committed to restoring the capital’s glory by carrying out extensive development work in the Federal Capital.

In a tweet, he said the CDA after getting four civic departments from the MCI has initiated repair and maintenance works to ensure better civic services such as functional traffic signals and street lights, improved road infrastructure with proper signage, and upgraded green belts and parks across the capital city.

“After handing over of 4 key departments from MCI to CDA, repair and maintenance works have started to fix traffic/street lights, lane markings, road patch work, cleaning green belts & parks. We will return its glory & beauty to Islamabad,” he tweeted.