NA committee comes harsh on FGEHF for not resolving issues

Islamabad

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Housing and Works on Monday came harsh on the Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation (FGEHF) for not resolving issues related to illegal construction of buildings and non-acquisition of land from locals in Sectors G-13 and G-14.

The Standing Committee on Housing and Works directed Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation to immediately initiate legal action against the illegal constructions and non-conforming use of residential property in Sectors G-13 and G-14.

The Committee also directed to submit progress report of action against illegal encroachments and constructions on monthly basis to the Committee. The Standing Committee met under the chairmanship of MNA Haji Muhammad Akram Ansari, in Parliament House.

The Committee while discussing the implementation status/progress on the recommendations of the Committee regarding encroachments in the sectors under Ministry of Housing and Works and Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation specially Sectors G-13 and G-14, observed that the foundation should strengthen its enforcement mechanism and initiate timely action against illegal encroachments and constructions otherwise delayed action could encourage proliferation of such illegal activities.

It is worth-mentioning here that the housing foundation has not been able to start development work in sector G-14 particularly in G-14/1 due to non-possession of land in the sector which was launched over 13 years back. Most of the allottees who were government employees and widows have died or sold out their plots waiting for possession of their plots.

The FGEHF Director General apprised the Committee that FIR has been lodged against Khateeb of a mosque that is constructed illegally in greenbelt along with Kashmir Highway in Sector G-13/1 and notices have been issued to the commercial users of residential property besides action has been initiated against illegally constructed ‘Khokhas’, hotels and other encroachments.

He further informed that Enforcement Directorate has been established in the Housing Foundation to check illegal constructions, encroachments and non-conforming use of property in various sectors of Housing Foundation.

Apprising the Committee about the progress on Bhara Kahu Housing Scheme, the FGEHS Director General informed that land acquisition process was discontinued after the ban on land acquisition by Ministry of Interior, however, to facilitate the members of the Bhara Kahu Scheme, Ministry of Housing and Works had invited expression of interest and called tenders for provision of land adjacent to the land already in possession of FGEHF and the update in that regard will be submitted to the Committee when finalised.

The Committee, while discussing the implementation status on the recommendations of its Sub-Committee on Projects of Pakistan Housing Foundation in Baluchistan, directed to take Government of Baluchistan on board and move a summary to the government for arranging the funds to re-initiate work on Housing Projects for low income groups.

The meeting was attended by Minister for Housing and Works. Akram Khan Durrani, MNAs; Rana Zahid Hussain Khan, Ms. Nighat Parveen Mir, Sajid Nawaz Khan, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Molana Ameer Zaman, Secretary Ministry of Housing and Works and other senior officers of the concerned departments.