Summary awaits approval to construct new housing units

Islamabad :The federal government is unable to allot houses to the government employees due to shortage of over 20,000 housing units in various sectors of capital.

While the approval of summary already sent to the Prime Minister seeking approval for construction of new housing units for the employees is still awaited, sources in the Ministry of Housing and Works told this agency.

As soon as the Ministry gets the approval, the construction will be started to meet the official accommodation shortage facilities. The ministry was unable to construct a single housing unit for last 22 years for allotment to serving employees, they added.

They said the ministry had moved the summary as even not a single government residence was constructed since 1995 due to a ban on construction of new housing units for employees. A proposal had been floated to construction multi-storey buildings along the sites of old government quarters as per availability of sufficient space there.

"Upper stories of the buildings can be used for allotment of accommodation to eligible government employees, while the lower portion can be used for commercial purpose to generate income," they said.

To a question, they said that no allotment was made in violation of the General Waiting List (GWL). "The residence, which is vacated by its occupant on any employee’s retirement or any other reason, is immediately allotted to the employee in waiting as per the GWL.

They said the allotments were made on merit on the maturity of turn of federal government servants on GWL in pursuance to Supreme Court directives. They said that a number of employees do not vacate their official residences and get engaged in litigation to prolong their stay. —