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Many abandon CDA plots for lack of utility services

ABDULLAH -AL MAHMUD
The allottees of Silimpur CDA Residential Area are yet to take possession of their plots as the Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) could not provide utility services after two decades of allotment.
Due to an attitude of indifference to the problem of CDA, many allottees have started to sell their plots.
Silimpur CDA Residential Area is the first housing project of Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) taken in 1962 on 166.18 acres of land amid a panoramic view of Silimpur under Sitakunda thana at an estimated cost of Tk 12.64 crore.
It puts over 1100 allottees in utter frustration.
They urged the CDA authorities
to ensure utility services and other facilities according to the project design for the residential area.
Under the project CDA developed 1142 plots and a separate flat block on 26.27 acres in 1979 and 1983 respectively.
The plot holders said despite having allotments over two decades ago, they could not take possession of their plots due to lack of utility services.
The project design also mentioned facilities such as education, healthcare, entertainment, safety and security as well as social and religious programmes. Required land was also shown allocated for educational institutes, health centres, children's park, mosque, market, community centre, police outpost, fire station and graveyard, they said.
But, the facilities are yet to be developed and no initiative was taken in this regard so far, the plot
owners said.
Silimpur CDA R/A Welfare Samity, an association of the plot owners, at a press conference at Chittagong Press Club on Wednesday said many of them have already expired while over 200 sold their plots out of frustration.
Besides, a vested interest quarter of CDA is cashing in on the situation and doing a brisk business over handing over of the plots, they said. Obtaining permission to hand over the plots is impossible without their help, they added.
Moreover, the infrastructures, including roads, drains and culverts developed during the implementation of the project are also being seriously damaged , they said.
They blamed it on CDA for allowing heavy transports loaded with construction materials and products of two large firms of the locality to ply and cause the damage to the roads for a nominal amount of royalty. The Samity General Secretary AKM Shahajahan said following complaints from the Samity, CDA at a meeting in 2003 decided to cancel the temporary permission for plying heavy vehicles of the two firms. But the decision is yet to be implemented, he added.
"Moreover, brining the residential area under utility services, including water, power and gas, would have been possible long back if CDA was sincere," he said.
Meanwhile, CDA officials said they are making efforts to ensure supply of water, power and gas at the residential area. Water and Sewerage Authority (Wasa), Chittagong could not install a deep tube-well at that area due to unavailability of water, they said.
They said CDA provided land to the Power Development Board (PDB) to set up a station for power supply.