Maryam chairs meeting on housing, loan schemes

LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif chaired a special meeting to review the progress on 3-marla free plot scheme and provision of loans to beneficiaries for building their own houses.

She instructed the authorities to prioritise the rehabilitation of 23 housing schemes under the Punjab Housing and Town Planning Agency (PHATA) across 19 districts and expedite the release of funds for the purpose.

Addressing the meeting, the CM said, “There is significant concern about providing roofs to the homeless. It will bring me great joy to see homes being built under the ‘Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar’ programme.”

The PHATA director general briefed the CM on the progress of ‘Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar’ programme, highlighting that loan repayments under the scheme had started, and the recovery rate had been 100pc. He also reported that 9,661 houses are nearing completion in Punjab. The CM directed PHATA authorities to meet their targets by March.

Separately, in response to complaints about overcharging, CM Maryam ordered strict action against individuals exploiting beneficiaries of the Ramazan package. In operations carried out in Kasur, Bhakkar, and Gujranwala, three suspects were arrested, and several agents involved in the illegal practice were blacklisted. One of the accused, Bilal, was arrested for illegally taking Rs500 from a beneficiary of the Rs10,000 Ramazan package in Kasur. Police also sealed Makkah Mobile Shop and Alpha Retailer in Bhakkar, confiscating equipment used in the illegal transactions.