National Assembly Employees Housing Society embezzlement: New plan brings new hope

[Salman]

National Assembly Employees Housing Society embezzlement: New plan brings new hope

ISLAMABAD: Once again, the administration of the National Assembly Employees Housing Society (NAES) has submitted a Layout Plan (LoP) to the Capital Development Authority (CDA).

The application was made on what the administration claimed was “consolidated” land measuring 400 kanals.

“The NAES administration has managed to find 400 kanals to develop a housing society and has applied for LoP from the CDA, which is likely to be issued within a week,” Islamabad Deputy Commission (DC) Amir Ali Ahmed said on Saturday.

Previously, the CDA rejected the request on the grounds that the society did not qualify for consolidated land for the society. The land in Zone-V, worth Rs400 million, will “easily accommodate” 50% of the affected people in the first phase, the DC added.

Last week, a special parliamentary committee constituted to probe embezzlement in the society called a meeting and directed CDA officials to issue the LoP. “We will make plots and allot them to investors through balloting,” the DC added.

Meanwhile, a senior CDA Urban Planning Directorate official said that they are yet to examine the documents the society had submitted to get an LoP. He maintained that it is not necessary to issue the LoP as there are many complications and that things would be clear once the documents are thoroughly examined.

Around 1,500 people, mostly NA lower staff, lost money in NAEHS due to embezzlement committed by previous administrations of the society. Taking note of this, the NA deputy speaker formed a special parliamentary committee led by MNA Sheikh Waqas Akram to probe into the matter and fix responsibility.

After a rigorous probe last year, the committee retrieved some land from the occupants, recovered some money, and held around a dozen officials responsible. It also recommended “serious action” against them.

The officials included former Islamabad DC Assadullah Faiz, NA Joint Secretary Shahid Jilani and former NAES administrator and Senate Deputy Secretary Tariq Khakwani. However, these officials approached the court and challenged the NA committee’s decision. While the fate of the accused officials is in the court’s hands, they continue enjoying the benefits of their respective positions.

The DC said around 1,400 members of the society had deposited some instalments. Of those who deposited payments many years back, around 800 would be accommodated and the remaining would be given plots in the next phase by including adjacent areas in the society.

He said that the plots in the first phase will be given on the basis of seniority of the members and their payment status. However, he said no extra charges will be placed and the plots will be granted on the same prices at which the members had applied.