Rawalpindi: RDA set to launch housing scheme for low-income group

[Naveed Yaseen]

Saeed Ahmed
Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) is set to launch a joint-venture housing scheme for low-income group in the next two months for which a site has been selected.

Sources told ‘The News’ here Tuesday that in order to launch the housing project, RDA Director General Makeen Shahbaz has constituted a five-member committee, headed by Deputy Director Administration Abdul Ghaffar. Other members of the committee included Deputy Director Engineering Department Rahat Ali Qureshi, MEO Assistant Director Tahir, Assistant Director Suhail Maqbool, and RDA Chief Accountant Khawja Arshad.

The task of the committee would be to motivate the landowners to join RDA on the basis of approved land sharing formula. It would designate the area where the scheme exactly falls. The committee would make close liaison with the government functionaries for issuance of notification and other formalities besides monitoring the ownership on the pattern of land sharing formula approved by the Government of Punjab.

It would also facilitate to prepare the ownership pattern of area, its Land Development Wing and Planning Wing. The committee members would prepare working papers for interim development of housing scheme. The same would be put before the in next authority’s meeting for approval.

The sources further revealed that a site for launching the project on joint venture basis has been selected in I-15 and I-16 and survey work has been initiated. According to it, the proposal has been submitted with Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif for reviewing over it. However, the Punjab chief minister has already expressed his consent over the project and has directed the RDA director general to start work on it which include survey and consulting with the landowners for launching it at the earliest.

RDA Director General Makeen Shahbaz when approached confirmed the report of joint-venture housing scheme in the near future. “We are working day and night to give the low income people shelter of their own on easy procedure.”

Elaborating about the project, Makeen Shahbaz said that according to the rules of the project, landowners would be approached and would be asked to allocate a limited area of land to RDA. For instance if RDA is allocated 5 marla of land by its owner, it would develop and construct his land measuring 2 marla. While the remaining 3 marla would belong to RDA, to be auctioned to the people on minimum market rates.

The scheme would be not only for residential purposes, but RDA would also invite businessmen and traders for commercial buildings, shopping centres and plazas.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=130999