ISLAMABAD: The incumbent management of Capital Development Authority (CDA) is also mulling renting out school plots worth billions of rupees instead of putting them on open auctions.

The controversial policy of renting out school plots for 33 years was approved in April last year. Later, however, the policy was shelved. Now, sources said, once again various wings of the CDA were holding meetings to discuss the matter.

The sources said that on last Friday a meeting was held to discuss the financial model of the scheme.

However, when contacted, Member Technology and Digitisation NaumanKhalid, who is also spokesperson for the CDA, told Dawn that he would check it out on Monday.

`Since the policy was approved before my joining I have no idea about it. I will check it out. Secondly, I have no idea about the meeting held on Friday,` he said.

However, the sources said the meeting held on Friday discussed in detail the financial model of the scheme. It was decided that another meeting will be held soon.

The sources said the meeting was held to finalise the financial model as the CDA board in April last year had approved the renting policy but delayed a decision on the financial model.

Last year, after approval of the policy, the CDA had sought applications from private schools and in response received over 200 applications from owners of private schools.

Primarily, after failing to shift private schools from residential areas, the CDA introduced the new policy to give plots to private parties on rent. It was decided that plots will be rented out to private schools in accordance with a 100 marks formula, including 20pc marks fixed for schools operating in houses and 25pc forKhalid, who is also spokesperson for the CDA, told Dawn that he would check it out on Monday.

`Since the policy was approved before my joining I have no idea about it. I will check it out. Secondly, I have no idea about the meeting held on Friday,` he said.

However, the sources said the meeting held on Friday discussed in detail the financial model of the scheme. It was decided that another meeting will be held soon.

The sources said the meeting was held to finalise the financial model as the CDA board in April last year had approved the renting policy but delayed a decision on the financial model.

Last year, after approval of the policy, the CDA had sought applications from private schools and in response received over 200 applications from owners of private schools.

Primarily, after failing to shift private schools from residential areas, the CDA introduced the new policy to give plots to private parties on rent. It was decided that plots will be rented out to private schools in accordance with a 100 marks formula, including 20pc marks fixed for schools operating in houses and 25pc forinstitutes charging Rs5,000 to Rs15,000 monthly fee. The CDA board had also decided that schools will be bound not to enhance their fee by more than five per cent per year.

A CDA official said the civic agency in the past had allotted plots for private schools at subsidised rates. However, he added, ideally private schools should be allotted plots after a competitive process, as running schools had become a lucrative business.

He said currently the CDA had around 100 plots available for school education and through their open auction the civic agency could fetch billions of rupees.

The 100 marks formula was approved in April last year in the presence of the already finalised policy of 2019 on allocation of plots for private schools which the CDA had also submitted to the Islamabad High Court.

The policy was finalised after holding a series of meetings with stakeholders, including owners of private schools, Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (Peira), proposing various steps to manage schools, particularly operating in residential areas.

In that policy, it was proposed that three years should be given to privateschools operating in residential areas for relocation and every sector there should be Montessori and daycare centres. The policy also recommended that private schools should be allowed in Zone 2, 4 and 5 on private land.

In this regard, bylaws were formulated which had to be followed for construction of schools in these areas. The CDA would facilitate the managements of such schools in obtaining NOC and in the approval process. But instead of implementing the policy, the CDA last year came up with the new idea of renting out plots to private school owners.

In the past, the civic agency had too faced controversy while allotting plots for schools. In 2008,it had allotted plots to private schools in a dubious manner.

The civic agency allotted 19 plots and only three of them were declared legal by courts. Resultantly, the civic agency had to cancel the allotment of 16 plots.

In that scheme, the CDA as per an advertisement was supposed to deal with only Islamabad-based schools, but it allotted plots mainly to schools operating in other cities. The CDA also entertained applications after the deadline and was also accused of allotting plots in various sectors on pick and choose basis.