ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works, Tuesday while expressing serious anger over the long delay in the completion of some housing schemes in the federal capital and encroachments in the city has directed the relevant departments to provide viable details of all such schemes and also purge the city of encroachers.
The Senate standing committee meeting held here under the chairmanship of Senator Hidayatullah Khan was briefed by the secretary Ministry of Housing and Works along with his team and the director general Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) on the issues raised by the panel.
Shehzad Bangash, secretary Ministry of Housing while updating the panel on the status of Project Life Style Residency in Sector G-13, Islamabad (EHFPRO Project), apprised the committee that the Joint Venture (JV) was withholding project records and had communicated with the auditor general of Pakistan (AGP) for an audit of the project and the company involved, underlining the necessity to hold the company accountable.
The committee expressed significant apprehensions regarding the project’s delayed completion, the transfer of 50 percent ownership to a private entity, and the involvement of a granite company.
The ministry officials claimed that they were unaware of the situation, specifically regarding the granite’s origin.
The additional secretary Ministry of Housing and Works elucidated the project’s background, dating back to its conceptualisation in 2010, remaining dormant until 2016. He also highlighted observations by the CDA concerning water levels for the project. The senators requested a copy of the agreement and comprehensive cost details, which were not provided in the initial briefing.
The committee, subsequently, resolved to pen a letter to the AGP, urging a thorough audit of the company associated with Project Life Style Residency, G-13, Islamabad.
The committee raised the issue regarding the Qasr-e-Naz state guest house in Karachi, urging the restoration of electricity to the guest house. The members echoed these concerns, shedding light on the guest house’s deteriorating condition due to inadequate maintenance. The secretary Ministry of Housing and Works informed that the electricity had been disconnected due to an outstanding amount of Rs8 million, further noting that K-electric demands full payment of the outstanding sum.
The committee extensively deliberated on the plight of affectees in Sector G-14/1-2-3. The DG FGEHA, in his briefing, reported substantial progress with 90 percent clearance of encroachments in G-14/2 and 99 percent in G-14/3. In G-14/1, approximately 50 percent of the area has been successfully cleared.
The DG highlighted ongoing operations against encroachers in G-14/1 and informed about the initiation of tendering processes, paving the way for imminent development work. Additionally, 2,000 plots have already been handed over. Following the deliberations, the committee urged the submission of a detailed progress report, particularly focusing on Sector G-14/1.
The committee members emphasised the imperative of obtaining the project’s complete record, encompassing the agreement copy, company profile, and all pertinent project credentials.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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