A Senate panel has recommended encouraging private investment, domestic or foreign, to build residences for low income masses, for reducing a backlog in housing sector, that is cruising to a million units.
At a meeting here on Tuesday, members of housing and works committee observed that official agencies dealing with the development of housing schemes had never performed efficiently.
"One solution then is to let foreign or private local investors do the job by offering them some incentives," a senator argued and committee largely appeared to be backing the idea. A final recommendation, however, would be sent to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in the form of a summary together with some other suggestions.
Development of infrastructure for constructing more houses rests with the government in Pakistan. The practice sometimes causes delays in execution of projects and payments to the previous owners for the land acquired from them, and creating opportunities of corruption among officialdom.
More than half a million more units are needed to make sure that each and every citizen has his own house. "To overcome this, there is no harm to try different things," Senator Jaffar Leghari from opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Quid (PML-Q) said.
Another recommendation the panel would be sending to the premier was to permanently put the Capital Development Authority (CDA) under the housing ministry to overcome the problem of delays in development and construction work in the federal capital. The committee that met, with Senator Muhammad Ali Brohi in the chair, reviewed the pace of housing schemes launched for the government employees and various other development projects.
The committee observed that the placement of the CDA under various ministries - cabinet division and interior ministry - had adversely affected its performance. There was a unanimous view among the members that the authority should be placed under the housing and works ministry so the construction and development work in the capital could be carried out in a more befitting manner.
The committee expressed serious concerns over the slow pace of work on construction of 400-bed women's hospital and chest disease centre in Rawalpindi and constituted a three-member sub-committee to probe whether the contract was awarded on merit.
PORTS AND SHIPPING: Meanwhile, another Senate panel has directed Pakistan National Shipping Corporation's management to submit an investigation report into what caused the heavy fire that gutted parts of its headquarters building in Karachi last year.
Standing Committee on Ports and Shipping issued the directive at a meeting here on Tuesday after several members suspected sabotage behind the August incident, second in less then six months. "Our people (senators) are 100 percent suspicious that this fire was inflamed (deliberately) to hide some records," Chairperson Senator Gulshan Saeed said.
The same PNSC building in the country's commercial capital was burnt twice last year, in mid February once and in late August later. There had been widely perceived suspicion that some officials might have been behind the incident that reportedly destroyed some secret record also, although an investigation into the first fire didn't find any such thing.
A PNSC top boss told the meeting that a departmental inquiry, that also includes a forensic assessment by a foreign expert, was underway and conclusions were expected soon. He didn't give any firm timeframe though.
The panel directed the management to be careful about the security and the safety of the 'highly strategic' building, with a particular alertness to fight any suddenly break out of fire. "Make sure to take whatever measures you can," the chairperson remarked, after the PNSC boss informed the panel about safety guidelines being followed to protect the building.
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