Housing Ministry unable to start free plots project for deserving

[LahoreEstate]

Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Islamabad

The projects of provision of free accommodation to people living below poverty line and free-of-cost five marla plots to the deserving people could not be initiated mainly due to inadequate funding and non-availability of free-of-cost government land.

According to a press release, this was informed to the National Assembly Standing Committee here Monday in its meeting at the Parliament House under the Chairmanship of MNA Pervaiz Khan.

The Ministry of Housing & Works secretary gave a detailed briefing on the implementation status of the recommendations of the National Assembly Standing Committee, made in its meeting held on February 21.

About the position of state land, the Housing secretary informed the Committee that only the Government of Balochistan has come forward in clear terms by allocating sufficient state land in Quetta and other districts of Balochistan, followed by Sindh Government that has identified only 100 acres of state land in Kimari, Karachi.

He said the Government of NWFP has not allocated any state land but identified some private land to be purchased from the private sector, whereas the Government of Punjab has neither allocated any state land nor identified private land for this important project so far, he said.

However, he added that the matter is under active consideration and would be implemented as and when the land would be acquired for the proposed scheme. The Committee also recommended that the Estate Office might appoint five lawyers to pursue and expedite the pending cases of accommodation allotted to the employees of non-entitlement departments in the courts.

After a detailed briefing by the ministry, the Committee constituted a three-member sub-committee under the Convenership of MNA Mahmood Hayat Khan Toochi Khan to probe into the matter and formulate policy regarding allotments made by the ministry on standard rent to the employees of non-entitled departments before and after 2004, and submit its report as soon as possible.

It also directed that till the submission of the sub-committee report, no employee should be ejected. The Committee also recommended that an officer from Estate Office might be deputed to look after the maintenance of the building of Qasr-e-Naz Hostel, Karachi.

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