CDA plans to develop Model Villages

Capital Development Authority (CDA), Chairman, Kamran Lashari has said that a comprehensive plan costing Rs 250 million is being chalked out to develop Noorpur Shahan, Malpur and Saidpur as Model Villages.
He was addressing a delegation of elders from these villages, headed by Syed Nayyer Hussain Bukhari ex-MNA and President of Pakistan Peoples Party Islamabad here on Wednesday.
The Chairman assured the delegation that the authority was actively working to resolve problems of their respective villages and urged the locals to cooperate with the authority in this respect.
Lashari said that bifurcation of urban and rural areas needs to be abolished for providing maximum civic amenities to all the residents of Islamabad Capital Territory. CDA discourages the trend of encroaching land and for this purpose it would welcome proposals of developing Noorpur Shahan, Malpur and Saidpur villages on modern lines, he added. He said that prior to development work in these villages, CDA would conduct a survey to ascertain the exact population to be rehabilitated.
He assured the delegation that CDA would consider lifting the ban on issuance of electric meters. The CDA Chairman applauded the co-operation extended by Syed Bukhari for amicable resolution of outstanding issues of the victims. Earlier, Bukhari briefed the CDA Chairman about the progress made so far to declare Noorpur Shahan as a model village according to the direction of the then Prime Minister late Benazir Bhutto who had directed CDA to issue notification for declaring Noorpur Shahan a model village during her visit to the shrine.
He said that decisions regarding the formation of rehabilitation policy had already been taken by the committee constituted by Benazir Bhutto and headed by the Chief Commissioner Islamabad.
Bukhari further informed the Chairman that Malpur has a historical background as Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah along with his sister Fatima Jinnah on their way back to Rawalpindi from Srinagar stopped at Malpur and addressed the gathering.
He said that the village was also declared a Model Village but payments of 'Shamlat' land were still to be made and demanded of the authority to resolve the issue. Bukhari said that development work at Saidpur needs to be geared up and in this regard, the local participation must be ensured for smooth development of the area. He also drew attention of the CDA Chairman towards the village Kuri, which had been acquired by CDA. However, the affectees are yet to get compensation for the acquired land.