ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority has come under scrutiny after opening financial bids for a major road construction project despite the land acquisition process remaining incomplete. The civic agency is planning to construct a 2.7 kilometre section of Margalla Avenue that will ultimately connect Islamabad with the Peshawar Motorway M1.
According to officials, the authority recently opened financial bids for the project which were originally estimated at around Rs3.58 billion. The lowest bid received was reportedly about 10 percent below the estimated cost. Following the bidding process, the authority indicated that the tendering stage was nearing completion and that the work order would be issued soon, with a groundbreaking ceremony expected in the near future.
However, officials familiar with the land acquisition process say payments to affected landowners have not yet been made. The Islamabad Capital Territory revenue department has acquired approximately 135 kanals of land for the road project and the district price assessment committee has already notified compensation rates. Despite this, the payments required to finalize the acquisition process are still pending.
Officials say the acquisition process began about ten months ago when Section 4 of the land acquisition law was imposed. Under the rules, the government must complete payments within one year, otherwise the legal validity of the acquisition process may lapse. With only about two months remaining, the delay has raised concerns among officials involved in the project.
Authorities have also cautioned against repeating controversies seen in previous projects where foundation stones were laid before land disputes were resolved. Officials say it would be more prudent to settle all compensation and ownership issues before inviting top leadership to inaugurate the road scheme.
The planned Margalla Avenue extension includes an interchange on GT Road and will stretch from GT Road to the Sangjani grid station, where it will connect with another road being constructed to link the route with Motorway M1. Once completed, the six lane road corridor is expected to provide a major alternative route for commuters traveling between Islamabad and GT Road, easing traffic pressure on existing arteries.
