ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is likely to lose a piece of land worth Rs6 billion in the H-9 sector to the metro bus project.

Officials said Nespak, the consultant of the metro bus project, had refused to accept any other place for the establishment of a depot for the metro buses.

The 20 acre plot Nespak chose for the depot was reserved for theestablishment of a slaughterhouse.

The director of the metro bus project, Zahid Saeed, said the decision to establish the bus depot at H-9 was amicably made between the metro bus authority and the CDA.

`A large space is needed to park around 64 buses apart from the establishment of filling stations and workshops at the depot,` Mr Saeed added.

However, officials in various departments of the CDA told Dawn that the metro bus authority and Nespak had been offered a piece of land at the junction of I.J.

Principal Road and 9th Avenue in both I-8 and I-9 sectors.

The piece of land in I-9 sector measured some 12 acres whereasthe plot across 9th Avenue in I-8 was eight acres.

On the other hand, the CDA member planning said the decision to establish the depot at H-9 was made by the authorities on the ground that a nullah passed through the middle of the plot.

`This is a technical issue,` he added without explaining further.

Meanwhile, an official of the engineering department said the metro bus officials coming from Lahore wanted to have a central place that came out to be Peshawar Mor.

`That nullah can be covered with concrete lining and RCC.

This would be a lot cheaper compared to the H-9 plot and the underground connection fromPeshawar Mor interchange to the depot,` the official added. `The value of the H-9 plot is over Rs6 billion but no one is talking about making payment to the CDA. And whatever decision is being taken is not on papers.

However, sources in the CDA said directives had been received that the civic agency would give the land to establish the depot at H-9 site free of cost against the establishment of the Peshawar Mor interchange which costs around Rs6 billion.

`We do not know if the directives have come from the prime minister office or Lahore but it is almost decided that the CDA will not be charging any amount for the 20 acre land at H-9,` said the official who did not want to benamed.

On the other hand, the meat sellers in the city accused the CDA of not caring for the consumers.

`The CDA is now afraid of taking responsibility of its own decision and is actually creating hurdle in developing an organised meat market in the federal capital,` said Khursheed Qureshi, the chairman of Jamiat Quraish Welfare Association.

The meat sellers said they would resist the transfer of the H9 plot to the metro bus service.

`We have rejected the alternative site offered to us by the CDA in I-11 or elsewhere. The civic agency does not want any organised slaughterhouse in Islamabad.` Mr Qureshi added.