FGEHF drops Bhara Kahu Housing Scheme

Islamabad

The Federal Government Employees Housing Foundation (FGEHF) has decided to drop a mega housing scheme of over 3,000 residential plots commonly known as Bhara Kahu Housing scheme due to many unresolved issues which the incumbent management has inherited from the past.

The FGEHF decided to drop the housing scheme after it had issued ‘Consent Letters’ to the federal government employees, over a year back. The housing scheme was launched in April, 2015 and soon it started hitting snags with matters relating to development issues and shortfall of plots.

The official sources told ‘The News’  the decision has been taken to drop Green Enclave-I Housing scheme located near Bhara Kahu area due to issues which were unlikely to be resolved in coming years.  However, an official of the FGEHF when contacted said that the successful applicants whether they have deposited amount as cost of land on receiving Consent Letters would be adjusted in Green Enclave-II which would span over an area of 20,000 kanals.

The official said the affected allottees of first phase of Green Enclave would be issued fresh ‘Consent Letters’ and they may also be given option of getting refund of submitted amount.

The sources said the housing foundation, however, would continue to hold ownership and possession of 3,500 kanals of land which was earmarked for the Green Enclave-I housing scheme. “We will continue to hold ownership of the land where any new housing scheme will be planned sometime in future,” an official said.

Besides facing many other issues, the Green Enclave-I housing scheme was also facing shortfall of 775 residential plots. As per layout, there were 3,244 plots but following report in light of topographical survey prepared by Nespak, only 2,469 plots were found feasible for construction of houses.

An official said now they would move ahead with acquisition and development of land for Green Enclave-II adjacent to the land for Green Enclave-I. The Executive Committee of FGEHF has also okayed acquisition of 20,000 kanals of land for Green Enclave-II at the rate of Rs400,000 per kanal.

The Executive Committee has also allowed the FGEHF to launch and develop Green Enclave-II through Joint Venture with the private sector. The sources said it had become almost impossible for the FGEHF to go ahead with development of the project. “Instead of wasting time and in order save allottees from any situation of uncertainty, we find it suitable to drop the scheme,” an official said.

As per decision of the FGEHF, the successful applicants for Green Enclave who were selected on first come first serve basis would be adjusted in the second phase of Green Enclave scheme but it would certainly hit business of the property mafia.

The successful applicants, who were facing shortage of money to pay cost of land, had already sold out their plots to the property mafia on power of attorney. The same practice, however, is discouraged by the housing foundation.