Residence for low-paid government employees faces delays

[Salman]

slamabad: The five-year delay in the completion of an apartment building in Sector G-10/2 featuring D-type flats for low-paid government employees was brought to the attention of the Senate on November 10.

According to a news source, Minister for Housing and Works Akram Khan Durrani said the project, which was initiated in 2008 and due to be completed in 2010, was prolonged due to a number of reasons, including the time it took the Capital Development Authority to clear the site and rearrange underground pipelines for utility services.

The Senate was also informed of other irregularities, including a cash-flow problem as the units were sold for merely PKR 800,000 each to ensure affordability. Multiple inquiries suspended construction for a period of two years and resulted in escalated costs of construction.

According to the ministry, the project exceeded the initial cost of construction, estimated to be PKR 247.80 million. ACE Pvt. Ltd and Techno International were awarded the contracts of consultant and contractor for the project respectively, and the delay in completion has caused government PKR 48.42 million in losses so far.