Punjab construction projects: Activities ‘worth’ Rs1.77trn to be generated, PM told

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan was on Thursday told that the investment of Rs 353.43 billion in the construction sector projects in Punjab would generate economic activities worth Rs 1,767.15 billion and create 315,678 job opportunities.

The prime minister, who presiding over the weekly meeting of National Coordination Committee for Housing, Construction and Development, was briefed about the promotion of construction activities in the country and the fast pace process of approvals by the provincial governments.

The Chief Secretary Punjab told the prime minister that the applications of construction on 87.03 million square feet in the province, including Lahore (38%) and Metropolitan Corporation (22%), Rawalpindi (18%), Faisalabad (11%), and Multan (10%) had so far been received.

It was told that with the approval of construction at 41.07 million square feet so far, the construction activities in all the districts of Punjab were going on.

The chief secretary further informed the meeting that 11,349 out of 17,692 applications received at the portal regarding construction had been approved.

Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa told the meeting with a total of 3,634 applications (manual and online) received so far, 3,158 applications (87%) have been approved. With only 9% returned due to various reasons, 4% applications under process of approvals.

The meeting was told that the application received for construction at an area of 10.854 million square feet in Khyber Pakthunkhwa so far would generate economic activities worth Rs 190 billion in the province.

Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa further told the meeting that with 66% increase in receipt of applications from October 15, 2020 till date, approvals 62%, volume of construction area 128%, the expected income generation and employment opportunities had also witnessed 128% increase.

Chief Secretary Sindh told the meeting that a total of 22 construction projects have been approved in the province.

The prime minister directed the chief secretary Sindh to pace up the process of approvals so as to promote construction activities and the resultant economic momentum in the province.

During the meeting, the prime minister was also briefed about the digitization of land record in different provinces by the Survey General of Pakistan.

The meeting was told that the data of state lands in all the 36 districts of Punjab province including the data of masawis (village maps) had been provided to the Survey General of Pakistan.

It was further told that the tax data of 730,000 properties of Lahore including the properties of Auqaf (trust) had also been provided.

Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa told the meeting that the data of state lands in all the districts of the province had been provided to the Survey General of Pakistan.

The prime minister was told by the Survey General of Pakistan that Sindh government was yet to provide the data.

On the query of the prime minister, chief secretary Sindh said that the matter had been placed before the provincial cabinet and data would be provided after approval from Sindh cabinet.

The prime minister said that digitization of land records including the state land was the need of hour.

He further said as the non-provision of data will strengthen the impression in masses that illegal occupation of state lands and Qabza Mafia (land grabbers) had the backing of influential personalities, therefore it was very important to dispel such impression.

The prime minister directed to provide all the data of state lands to the Survey General of Pakistan so as to digitize the land record.

He further said that placement of all the data of approved and unapproved housing societies at the websites of development authorities concerned should be ensured.

The prime minister directed that besides the availability of data at the websites of development authorities, central data bank should also be established at provincial levels so that all the details of such projects were made available to Pakistanis specially the Overseas Pakistanis.