The 15th meeting of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) Board was held at CDA Headquarters, Islamabad, under the chairmanship of CDA Chairman and Chief Commissioner Islamabad, Muhammad Ali Randhawa.
The meeting was attended by Member Admin and Estate Talat Mahmood, Member Finance Tahir Naeem, Member Environment Esfandyar Baloch, Member Planning, Dr. Khalid Hafiz, Member Engineering, Syed Nafasat Raza and Professor Dr. Muhammad Ali, Vice Chancellor of Punjab University who joined via Zoom link. Several agenda items were discussed during the 15th meeting of the CDA Board.
During the meeting, approval was granted for filling vacant positions, training emergency staff and providing modern equipment to upgrade the Capital Emergency Services in Islamabad. It was also decided to seek support regarding vetting of the equipment from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in this regard. The board approved the recruitment process for various positions in the Capital Emergency Services.
A state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will be established for improved monitoring and tracking of all emergency operations. Additionally, 12 rescue stations will be set up across Islamabad for rapid response along with the launch of a motorbike rescue service comprising approximately 50 motorcycles. The approval was granted for finalizing the Capital Emergency Service Regulations.
A briefing was also given on the provision of modern equipment for Capital Emergency Services, including water rescue vans, advanced tools, and the purchase of rescue vehicles. Chairman CDA directed that all available resources be utilized to equip Capital Emergency Services with modern facilities leaving no stone unturned to ensure citizens receive the best possible services.
The CDA Board also approved the hiring of a consultant to pursue carbon credit acquisition for projects in Islamabad. Chairman CDA said that the primary objective of this initiative is to promote environmentally friendly development projects and reduce carbon emissions in Islamabad. The consultant’s services will help CDA obtain carbon credits in line with international standards, thereby promoting environmental protection.
Chairman CDA emphasized that acquiring carbon credits will internationally recognize CDA’s efforts in forest conservation, afforestation, reducing air pollution and sustainable development projects. He added that this initiative will not only help provide a clean and healthy environment for Islamabad but will also prove to be a significant milestone for the city’s sustainable development.
The meeting was informed that practical steps in accordance with international conventions for carbon credit acquisition will be taken soon after the appointment of the consultant. Coordination among various wings of CDA will be ensured to develop projects in accordance with the carbon credit acquisition.
The board also approved amendments to the committee formed for hiring an evaluator firm to assess land and properties in Islamabad. The committee will include officers from the Finance, Estate, P&C, Building Control and Engineering wings with the Member Finance serving as its head.
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The 15th CDA Board meeting also included detailed deliberations on hiring consultants for reviewing the detailed design, professional technical services and comprehensive planning of the first phase of the Jinnah Medical Complex and Research Center, Islamabad. It was decided that, after international tendering, the lowest bidders would be recommended for consultancy services in accordance with PPRA rules and these recommendations would be presented to the Steering Committee for approval.
The Board further decided to allocate land for the establishment of a teaching hospital in Islamabad to Aga Khan University, as per the Islamabad Land Disposal Regulations.
In his concluding remarks, Chairman CDA reiterated that the development, progress, and beautification of Islamabad are the top priorities of CDA and all available resources will be utilized to ensure the continuous provision of the best facilities to citizens and to help make Islamabad an exemplary Capital City.
