Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping, Senator Babar Khan Ghauri inaugurated 337-acre housing scheme for Port Qasim Authority employees on Monday. Addressing the officers and workers at the ground-breaking ceremony, the minister said, "We have sought approval from the federal government before launching Gulshan-e-Qasim Housing Scheme." The housing scheme was in line with the President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz's policy that every citizen should have his own house, he said, adding that the government also wanted to provide maximum facilities to its employees.
The housing scheme, situated between the PQA and the National Highway, has been divided into three categories of 300, 500 and 1000 square yard plots. The master plan is prepared by the National Engineering Services of Pakistan (NESPAK and construction of basic facilities including roads network, water supply, sewerage system will be completed in next 18 months.
To ensure early execution of the scheme and resolve the finance problem of the allottees, the minister said he had negotiated with Habib Bank, which agreed to extend loans for construction of houses at a reasonable mark up with easy instalments.
Babar Ghauri said the ministry and PQA management were stressing the utilities to provide their services to the new township as early as possible. To generate funds for development works on this scheme, the commercial plots would be sold through open auction and in case of any shortage the allottees have to contribute proportionately, the minister said. However, he pointed out that widows or children of the deceased authority employees would not have to pay any additional charge for their residential plots.
Babar Ghauri said that about 700 acres of land was acquired from Sindh Government in 1992 for residential purpose of PQA employees. Other portion of this land was situated on the other side of National Highway near Razakabad.
On the occasion, the minister also announced a bonus for PQA workers and received application from authority employees regarding problems being faced by them.
"Bonus committee has already submitted its recommendations and the employees would receive bonus soon," he assured. Babar Ghauri added that pending issues of retired PQA employees regarding their pensions would be resolved soon.
The minister also announced that he had negotiated with United Bank Limited (UBL) for motorcycle loan on low mark up to the PQA workers and added that they can avail this facility through authority's finance department.
He asked upon the employees to increase there out put, which ultimately would benefit them in the shape of high salaries and enhanced facilities.
Earlier, PQA Chairman Real Admiral Saleem Ahmed Meenai presented a detailed briefing on the housing scheme and sought the minister' help in its early completion.