Prime Minister's low-cost housing scheme: 25 percent share for non-gazetted employees

[Salman]

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Housing and Works (H&W) on Monday recommended the ministry to keep 25 percent share for non-gazetted employees in the Prime Minister's low cost housing scheme. The parliamentary body with Haji Muhammad Akram Ansari in the chair was given briefing on the working of Pakistan Housing Authority Foundation (PHAF) and Estate Office.

Briefing the committee, State Minister of Housing & Works (H&W) Usman Ibrahim said that National Housing Policy would be announced soon under which 0.5 million low cost housing units would be constructed across the country during next five years, which would be started from Islamabad and four provincial Capitals (Lahore, Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar) as a pilot project.

Over the performance of Estate Office, the committee was told that there are 17227 government residences in Islamabad and the shortfall is 19175. To a query, it was told that an Enforcement Branch has been established for vacation of residences occupied by illegal occupants. The committee directed Director General Pak PWD to take measures for the release of remaining funds to complete the on-going development schemes identified by the parliamentarians.

State Minister further said that the ministry is going to launch an operation to oust the illegal and unauthorised occupants of federal lodges. While giving briefing to the committee on the working and performance of Pakistan Housing Authority Foundation (PHAF), Joint Secretary, Omer Rasool said that the focus of the PHAF was to provide affordable housing to low income groups, providing housing facilities to the government employees and reducing gap between supply and demand of the housing units. The PHAF has completed 16 projects during 1999-2006 in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad and Peshawar; while 10 projects are nearing completion.