17 professionals hired to strengthen CDA planning wing.

Byline: Kashif Abbasi

ISLAMABAD -- The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has recruited 17 professionals to strengthen its planning wing.

After devolution of over 20 directorates to the local government, the planning wing has been facing a shortage of manpower for the last many years.

Since formation of the local government in 2016, the main function of the CDA is confined to planning and development.

But the wing has been without key personnel and has almost been inactive as several functions such as regulations of housing societies, planning of new sectors, implementation of the master plan have been proceeding at a snail's pace.

Key directorates of planning wing remained without heads for year, says official

However, CDA Chairman Amer Ali Ahmed said with the addition of the 17 new officers, the performance of the wing will see a significant improvement.

'We have completed the process of recruitment of professionals for the planning wing. These professional were hired after written test conducted by professional testing service followed by interviews by a committee of experts,' he said.

According to documents available with Dawn, 11 town planners, two deputy directors, one traffic engineer and assistant town planner, one surveyor and one assistant quantity surveyor have been appointed.

CDA officials said the town planners will help the civic agency regulate housing societies.

Currently, over 100 legal and illegal housing societies are operating in the capital city.

In background discussions, senior CDA officials said several key directorates of the planning wing such as urban planning, regional planning and housing societies did not have regular heads and were instead being run by deputy directors, who...