PIMS cancels irregular colony allotments

Islamabad: The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, the capital city’s premier government hospital, has cancelled the allotment of around 50 houses and apartments in its colony declaring them irregular.

Now, these residential units put up on the hospital’s premises will be allotted to the staff members on the basis of merit or seniority of service. Dr Raja Amjad Mehmood, who had assumed the charge of the PIMS executive director earlier this year, recently learned about the alleged anomalies in the allotment of the colony’s bungalows and apartments during the times of his predecessor, Dr Altaf Hussain Qureshi, and asked the relevant department to produce records.

A look at the records revealed that 48 of these lodgings were allotted against merit or seniority of service, prompting the hospital chief to order the immediate cancellation of their allotment.

He directed the hospital’s ‘accommodation committee’ to give out all those houses and apartments to the eligible staff members on the basis of merit or seniority of service. Of these lodgings occupied by both senior and junior staff members, four are ‘F’ type, eight ‘E’ type, six ‘D’ type, 12 ‘C’ type and 18 ‘D’ type.

An insider said the allotment of those residential units was influenced either by favouritism on part of the then administration or by political pressure from outside. He said in some cases, the houses were allotted to people on the pretext that they could instantly make it to the duty in case of emergency and thus, benefitting patients.

The insider said the colony had around 300 houses and apartments, which the allottees could use until retirement. He said many employees got the colony’s flats by illegal means for being unable to afford the escalating accommodation rents in the city.

The staff members, who claimed to be eligible to get accommodation in the colony, welcomed the cancellation of the irregular colony allotments and said they hoped that the development belated though would address their grievances.

When contacted, PIMS ED Dr Raja Amjad confirmed the move and said he would ensure by all means that future allotments in the colony are made in strict compliance with the rule of merit and seniority.