The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has decided to address complaints about misuse of its vehicles and theft of petrol and diesel with modern technology. A comprehensive monitoring system is being devised for the purpose envisaging, among other things, installation of fuel sensors and vehicle trackers to check against corruption and misuse. Under the new system, the supply of petrol and diesel to all vehicles will be stopped from CDA’s own petrol pumps and instead PSO cards will be issued to each vehicle to get a fixed amount of petrol or diesel.
The CDA played a dominant role in progress and development of the Federal Capital and used to be a role model as far as provision of civic amenities to people, sanitation and beautification of Islamabad is concerned. However, with the passage of time, its working and performance deteriorated due to corruption, shirkwork, lack of adherence to master plan and indifference towards day-to-day problems of the citizens. In this backdrop, its Chairman Anwarul Haq deserves credit for taking multiple initiatives to revive the glory of the Authority and making it an institution that meets aspirations of the capital’s residents. The plan to digitize the working of the transport system has the potential to effect substantial savings as the annual cost of fuel and repair of a fleet of about six hundred vehicles crosses one billion rupees. As in other departments, vehicles are grossly misused and there are consistent reports about theft of petrol and diesel. Under the new system, fuel monitoring will be done by fuel sensors while vehicle tracking would be done by vehicle trackers and an alarm would set off as soon as a vehicle goes out of its route. Apart from financial savings, an effective check against misuse of vehicles would surely help improve service delivery as the system would ensure availability of vehicles for different tasks. There are numerous other aspects but the CDA Chairman and the management need to focus on elimination of corruption from the Buildings Control Department, sanitation and the issue of ghost/redundant employees.
