ISLAMABAD: City managers are once again planning to construct a cricket stadium in Islamabad for which Shakarparian had originally been designated in the master plan of 1960.

The CDA is also planning to allocate around 50 acres in I-17 for the establishment of Daanish University.

These were on the agenda of the CDA board meeting held with Chairman Mohammad AliRandhawa in the chair on Thursday.

CDA spokesperson Shahid Kiani said the board discussed the construction of the stadium and principally approved the project but the site was yet to be finalised. The board issued directions for the feasibility of the stadium at an appropriate place, he added.

It is relevant to note that Pakistan Sports Complex and facilities for sports and other recreational activities were developed in the Shakarparian area. However, in 1979 through an ordinance the area was included in the national park and construction activities in the area were halted. In 2018, the Supreme Court scrapped a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) project to build a stadium in the area.

In 1960, the Greek Firms DoxiadisAssociates, which had prepared Islamabad`s master plan, had declaredthe2250 acresareaassports centre. The government had earlier constructed the Sports Complex, a museum, Lok Virsa, a golf course and Islamabad Club in the area.

The CDA board will take up the matter in its next meeting and if it agrees to establish the stadium in Shakarparian the matter would be referred to the federal government to withdraw the 1979 notification to restore the independent status of the sports centre.

Meanwhile, a few years ago, the CDA had proposed construction of the cricket stadium near sector D-12 in the foothills of the Margallas. The Margalla Hills National Park comprises three areas Margalla Hills, Shakaparian and the sports centre land along with the area fallingwithin two-kilometre radius of Rawal Dam. Sources said the CDA wants to exclude sports centre from the national park area in accordance with spirit of the original master plan.

Daanish University in Islamabad Meanwhile, the sources said CDA was planning to earmark around 50 acres for the construction of Daanish University Islamabad.

They said two proposals were under consideration. One is to allot land adjacent to Daanish School in Kuri and the other to set aside a piece of land in I-17. As per procedure, if CDA board agrees land would be offered to the ministry of education on rates reserved for educational institutions. The ministry of education through HEC will then con-struct the university.

Meanwhile, a press release issued by CDA after board meeting stated that the board approved allotment of land to the National Police Academy for the establishment of a police university. The board also decided to implement the SAP accounting system for better management of financial matters in the authority. The meeting was told that the SAP system would be a double-entry accounting system. Further, the meeting was informed that for the implementation of the SAP accounting system, CDA would sign a memorandum of understanding with the Controller General of Pakistan next week.

The board also decided that the inventory of the authority assets would be compiled by the end of the current financial year. The chairman CDAinstructed that by the end of the current financial year, a financial report in the style of the corporate sector should be prepared. He stated that the financial report should include the institution`s achievements and targets for the financial year.

The board constituted a committee headed by the Member Finance to identify CDA`s rented properties.

The committee will include the directors of land, municipal administration and the director general Building Control Section.

The board also decided that payments for CDA would be made cashless. The meeting was briefed that payments for 165 services provided at the one-window service had already been made cashless.

Similarly, water tanker charges have also been made cashless.