ISLAMABAD: All mess in Ministry of Housing

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

No one interested in implementing PM’s housing plan

* Federal Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat gave only seven days to his office in two months

* He is more interested in meetings of Pakistan Football Federation aborad

* In absence of the federal minister, state minister and permanent federal secretary, problems of the Ministry are increasing day by day

* Rumors are in the air that MQM might take the ministry again

By Ikram Junaidi

No one from top to bottom in Ministry of Housing and Works seems interested in implementing Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s 100-day plan announced on May 2 to construct one million houses every year for solving the housing shortage problem in the federal capital, as Federal Minister for Housing and Works Faisal Saleh Hayat attended his office only for seven days in last two months, Daily Times learnt on Friday.

Football: Although Ministry of Housing is one of the most important ministries, it is being run by makeshift arrangement, as the minister has been taking more interest in football instead of the affairs of the Housing Ministry.

According to the sources, after resignation of State Minister Raza Hayat Hiraj it has been decided to revisit the allotments done by the State Minister, which strengthens the impression that officials are more interested in making money.

On the other hand, the Deputy Secretary Admin, who also holds the charge of Estate Officer, has finally officially shifted the computerised record from Estate Office to his office and promoted his PA to PS without approval of the departmental promotion committee (DPC). This situation has created unrest among the employees, who are now apprehending that the ministry would be handed over to MQM as they have joined the government and are interested to get the ministry as in the past, it is learnt.

According to sources, matters of the Ministry of Housing and Works have become all mess as Hayat, who is also president of Pakistan Football Federation, has been taking more interest in football affairs and attending meetings abroad in this regard instead of taking any interest in the affairs of the ministry and orders of the prime minister.

Renovation: An officer working as a Director General (DG) in a very important section of the ministry, requesting not to be named told this scribe that Hayat had hardly given any time to the Ministry. He said in last 60 days the minister attended his office just for seven days. He said Hayat took oath of his office on May 2, 2011 and instructed the officials to renovate the floor of his office, fix new tiles and wallpapers, change the doors and furniture and went abroad for ten days. He said PWD spent Rs 20 million on renovation of his office and at the moment B Block’s 1st floor was the most beautiful floor in Pak Secretariat.

He said two months back Hayat went to Dubai for three days, on returning home he attended his office for two days and then went to Germany. Later he went to United Kingdom (UK) for three weeks and after coming from UK he attended his office for three days, he said, adding, later he went to Karachi and from where he left for Malaysia for four days. When he came back it was a weekend and he attended office for two days and then left for Columbia on an open ticket. He said according to some of his subordinates the minister will also go to USA for four weeks.

Another officer of Ministry said after resignation of former minister Rehmat Ullah Kakar, federal secretary Raja Abbas run the ministry for seven months and now situation is even worse as State Minister Raza Hayat Hiraj has resigned. On the other hand, there is no federal secretary as Kamran Lashari is additional secretary and the ministry’s workload needs a fulltime secretary, he added.

Rumours: A section officer said Prime Minister Gilani had given a 100-day plan on May 2 on the occasion of an oath taking ceremony. According to the plan, one million houses has to be build every year to solve the residential problem, but unfortunately the ministry has not moved even a single inch regarding that plan. He said rumors were in the air that MQM might take the ministry, as present minister was looking more interested in football as compared to solving the residential problems.

Sources said due to absence of the Federal Minister, State Minister and permanent Federal Secretary, problems of the Ministry were increasing day-by-day, but it seems that even high level authorities are not interested to solve the problems due to which work of that important ministry and employees have been suffering.