Karachi: DHA puts refurbishment levy on temporary hold

[Naveed Yaseen]

The Defence Housing Authority (DHA) has put on hold for the time being the recovery of controversial refurbishment charges from its residents and property owners.

The residents’ associations of the DHA have been clamouring against the sudden imposition of these charges by the DHA on the pretext of building the urgently-required storm water drainage infrastructure in the neighbourhood.

The imposition of refurbishment charges could be perceived by the concerned quarters as equivalent to the city government’s controversial infrastructure tax.

A meeting on Wednesday between office-bearers of the Defence residents’ associations and DHA Administrator Brig. Khalid Tirmizi decided to constitute a joint committee under the DHA administrator, comprising representatives of the residents’ associations and DHA officials to find out amicable solution in this regard.

“The refurbishment charges as a modus operandi would remain pending till the outcome of the recommendations of the committee to be given in shortest possible time,” said a statement issued by a spokesman for the DHA.

The meeting discussed the issue of refurbishment charges recently levied by the DHA on both open and constructed plots to recover the cost of development works, especially the newly laid drainage system in Phase-I to Phase-VII.

DHA’s Senior Project Director (SPD) Brig (retd) Iftikhar Haider, in a detailed briefing, gave the rationale for imposing the refurbishment charges.

In his keynote address, Administrator DHA Brig Tirmizi asked the residents’ associations to look at the elusive issue with an optimistic and forward looking approach and find out a solution to the problem with a spirit of understanding and cooperation.

President Defence Society Residents’ Association Capt Haleem Siddiqui said that the residents’ associations have always had excellent relations and good understanding with DHA administration. He said that the residents’ associations in spite of their reservations were ready to extend their cooperation to DHA to find out a solution in this regard.

Since April 16 this year the DHA has started recovering the refurbishment charges in question from the plot and house owners who visit its offices with regard to finalising their property deals. DHA’s finance department is offering such people a facility of two-year installment plan for the payment of these charges.

DHA spokesman Col. (retd) Rafat Naqvi said that the property and house owners who have already paid the refurbishment charges would be given the due benefit of the committee’s recommendations.

For example, he added, if the committee decides to completely withdraw the refurbishment charges, then the house and property owners who have paid the charges would be automatically given the refund.

A senior office-bearer of a DHA residents’ association said that the Defence residents were in no mood to pay the refurbishment charges and their representatives in the committee would also oppose levying this new tax by the authority.

The residents’ associations, whose office-bearers attended the Wednesday’s meeting, included: Defence Residents Society, Defence Society Residents Association, Association of Defence Residents, Defence Association of Coordination Committee, Residents Association Phase-IV, Seaview Residents Society, NCW Neighbourhood Care, Helpline Trust and Defence Housewives and Working Women Group.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=184840