The Ministry of Housing and Works has planned to give 50,000 residential plots to the employees of federal government over the next 2 years, besides constructing 20,000 residential flats. This was stated by Federal Minister for Housing and Works Ikram Khan Durrani while briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works.
The committee held under the chairmanship of Tanveer-ul-Haq Thanivi here on Tuesday was told that the Ministry has planned to recommend the Prime Minister for increasing hiring allowance of the federal employees by 65 percent in a bid to enable them of getting their own residence instead of running from pillar to post in search of government residence.
The minister further told the committee that in past 27 years the government allocated 23,000 plots to the government employees while the present government was trying to provide residential plots to every government employee. He said that in past the plots were not allotted on seniority basis and therefore many senior employees did not get plots but no government has changed the formula.
In response to a question over long delay in the start of Bhara Kahu Housing Scheme for government servants, the minister said that due to one or other reason, the project has not been started since 2009 but now the government has almost settled the issue and developmental work on the project would start within the next month.
There were 3,400 plots in the government housing scheme at Bhara Kahu and so far 32,000 people have been registered, and for those who could not get plots in Bhara Kahu the government is set to purchase 20,000 kanals of land for which 3 land owners have shown interest. "The land requisitions in F-14 and F-15 has also been made," the committee was informed.
The committee was informed that the government has got vacated land worth billions of rupees in Karachi and now efforts are being made to get 2,700 government houses vacated in Karachi, which had been illegally allocated to the retired employees by Safwanullah, Federal Minister for Housing in Pervez Musharraf era.
Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation (FGEHF) in collaboration with M/s EHFPRO has started another housing scheme for government employees in sector G-13 and the government will provide a subsidy of Rs 1.8 billion on this scheme, the minister said. The committee also questioned the reduction in quota for journalists by the Ministry of Housing and Works but the officials of the Housing Ministry did not give a satisfactory reply to the committee.
The committee also inquired from the Ministry of Housing and Works for the list of journalists who are eligible for allotment of plot from their quota and how it verified the list. Responding to the committee, Director General FGEHF, Waqas Ali Mahmood said that there are still many plots vacant under journalist quota and the media persons can apply online for registration. He said that as per policy, only one plot is allocated to a working journalist in the federal capital.
Mahmood said that FGEHF with the help of parent ministry and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has compelled M/s Green Tree to settle land dispute with the foundation, which has been unresolved since 2009. The DG said now the land seller party will acquire additional 50 kanals of land for road construction in Bhara Kahu Housing Scheme. He said that Bhara Kahu project will cost Rs 5.8 billion, including Rs 2.85 billion cost of land purchase and almost Rs 3 billion development cost.
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