ISLAMABAD: Buyers of over 4,000 residential plots in the E-12 sector, who have been waiting for the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to deliver the plots for 28 years, will have to keep waiting as the authority could not give a satisfactory answer when asked when it would resolve land acquisition issues.

In 1989, the CDA sold 4,099 plots but the land has yet to be developed for housing purposes, and the authority has failed to move locals out of the area to begin development work.The CDA failed to respond satisfactorily when asked about resolving land acquisition issues by a parliamentary committee on Wednesday. Perturbed by the authority`s response, the National Assembly subcommittee on government assurance formed a special committee with a mandate to devise a feasible formula to settle the decades old land acquisition issue between locals and the CDA.

The subcommittee met at CDA headquarters,andincludedMNAs Abdul Majeed Khan Khanan Khalil, Malik Ibrar and Malik Irfan Dogar and CDA Member Planning Asad Mehboob Kayani and Member Estate Kushal Khan in addition to other of ficials.

During the meeting, Mr Kayani told the committee that E-12 was announced in the 1970s, and the CDA acquired land for around 5,000 housing units. The sector is spread over 777.3 acres and con-sists of six mouzas: Dharek Mohri, Bhakar Mohri, Bhakkar Fateh Baksh, Bara Darri, Sari Saral and Golra Sharif.

However, he told the committee the CDA has thus far been unable to resolve the matter with the locals, particularly with regard to the Build Up Property (BUP)issue.

He said around 90pc of the locals have already been compensated through the allocation of alternate plots, and around 1,200 of a total 1,900 people have also received monetary compensation against claims of the built up properties, but are unwilling to hand over possession of the land to the CDA af ter 25 years.

The committee members criticised the absence of the mayor Sheikh Ansar Aziz, and deputy mayors Syed Zeshan Shah and Azam Khan at the meeting, and directed the deputy mayors to ensure theirpresence atthe nextmeeting since both of them are f rom the area in question.

The matter was referred to the standing committee by the National Assembly af ter a calling attention notice was moved by MNA Sher Akbar Khan, who said: `CDA had spent millions of rupees on advertisement for the promotion of said sector by declaring; `buy and build your home`, but f ailed to handover the possession of single plot so far.

During the meeting the convenor, Abdul Majeed Khan Kalil, cited firsthand experience while saying corruption was a major obstacle in the CDA`s functioning and nothing was possible without paying bribes.

The newly appointed member estate, Khushal Khan asked the committee to give him two months to proceed in the matter, but the committee directed him to bring a feasible solution to the next meeting.