Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works met on Wednesday here, at Sindh Secretariat, and discussed the issues of encroachment and illegal occupation in the federal government residential colonies/societies and on FMHW land in different localities of the city, and poor maintenance of the federal government houses, lodges etc.
Besides, the committee stressed on timely execution of federal government housing projects and the best utilization FMHW land in Karachi and other cities of the country. The Senators sought explanation from the officers of Federal Ministry of Housing and Works (FMHW) other organizations under umbrella of this ministry on various issues and non-compliance of rules and regulations.
Presided over by its Chairman, Senator Maulana Tanveer-ul-Haq Thanvi, the committee meeting was attended by Senator Saeedul Hassan Mandokhail, Senator Rozi Khan Kakar and Senator Nauman Wazir Khattak. The Federal Secretary for Housing and Works and Sindh Home Secretary Qazi Shahid Pervez also attended.
The Senate Committee directed the officers of FMHW and Pakistan Works Department (PWD) to submit the details about the encroachment and illegal occupation of government houses and land, and of the plots and housing facilities rented out, and the terms and conditions. It also took serious note of the reports that certain number of retired governments' employees continued living in the government allotted houses beyond six months grace period after their retirement from the jobs.
The Senators urged that no retired employee should be given even one day extra after six months grace granted by the law unless it is amended. "All government employees across the country should be treated equally," stressed Senator Nauman Wazir Khattak.
The committee was told that, at present, the law allowed a retired employee to stay in the government house only for six months and for a widow, till her "iddat" period is completed. Sindh Home Secretary assured that the police force would support FMHW in its efforts to vacate any illegal occupation or encroachment. Chairman of committee, Senator Maulana Tanveer-ul-Haq Thanvi said the action for vacating the government houses from occupancy of retired employees be taken as per rules and that there should be no discrimination.
He recommended that the retired government employees should be given government plots in good localities along with infrastructure at very subsidized rates, where they, along with their families, could live safe and respectable life. He also called for revival of the board tasked with the execution of Lines Area Housing Project, pending for last 35 years against its original execution period of five years. "This was the largest housing project of Asia," he remarked adding it was regretted that the residents of this area were still waiting for their rehabilitation.
The committee emphasized on the earliest settlement of Lines Area issue according to rules to escape any further mess as they had received reports about illegal occupancy of government land also non-payment of utilities bills by the residents. The Senate Committee was given briefing on the status of the housing project titled Executive Lifestyle Residency Apartments at Clifton, Karachi, Kuchlak Housing Project in Quetta and Carlton Hotel plot, where some unknown transporters had started their business. An officer of the Estate Office of FMHW informed that 8400 government houses were in Karachi and good amount of funds was needed for their maintenance, which they lacked.
The committee recommended that the waiting list of the government employees applying for official residence be displayed and updated on day-to-day basis on the FMHW's website so that all the stakeholders could know the status whenever they wanted. The committee also recommended ten times increase in the rent of the FMHW plots leased to petrol pumps or CNG stations in different areas of the city. It observed that the rent being charged was very low against the market rate.
For timely execution of Kachlak Housing project, a sub-committee was formed, which would be headed by Senator Saeedul Hassan Mandokhail. To resolve the issues relating to it, the Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works would hold meetings in Islamabad on January 25 and 26, wherein all the stakeholders would be called in to form strategy to earliest execution. Senator Mandokhail proposed that this project could be better executed under a public-private partnership. Later, the Senate Committee members visited the FMHW plots in Clifton and Defence areas.