FDA DG concerned over slow recovery of dues from defaulters

FAISALABAD: FDA Director General Muhammad Sohail Khawaja has directed for adopting comprehensive and effective strategy for increasing the revenue recovery under different heads.

He issued these directions while presiding over a meeting held to review the revenue recovery position here on Sunday. FDA Additional Director General Amir Aziz, Estate Management Director Dr Anam Sajid Malik, Town Planning Director Mehr Ayub, Finance Director Junaid Hassan, Deputy Director Admin Yasir Ijaz Chattha and other officers were present in the meeting.

Reviewing the details of arrears of the defaulters, the director general expressed his concern over the slow recovery of dues. He said that arrears should be collected from the chronic defaulters on priority basis. He said that maximum collection of revenue was vital for own source development. He emphasised upon increasing the source of income and said that special attention be focused on achieving the targets of recovery besides conceiving the business models in this regard. He said that strong financial position was imperative for initiating the new projects of the city development and beautification.

During the meeting, the arrears of leases, auctions, rents, prices of land in the residential colonies and commercial markets under control of the FDA and different fees were reviewed. The Director General set the targets for the revenue officers to collect the dues from the defaulters and directed that special efforts be made to achieve the targets. He said that final notices should be served to the defaulters and their allotments should be cancelled in case of non-compliance of notices.

It was informed in the meeting that the arrears of Rs 97.968 million were due against the 3,471 defaulters of different residential colonies and commercial markets. It was further informed that the dues of Rs 9.841million were collected during the period of July 2019 to March 2020.

Meanwhile, another meeting was held under the chairmanship of FDA Director General Muhammad Sohail Khawaja to review the pace of implementation of uplift schemes.

The meeting was informed that 19 more uplift schemes of improvement and construction of roads and streets in different localities of the city would be completed at a cost of Rs 83.10 million under the supervision of Faisalabad Development Authority (FDA).

Reviewing the details of development schemes, the FDA DG said that more uplift schemes were being initiated under the Prime Minister’s Sustainable Development Programme for providing better facilities of carpet roads and PCC streets under the supervision of the FDA.

He directed the concerned officers to ensure complete transparency in tendering process and other departmental procedures. He stressed upon carrying out regular monitoring of the ongoing development projects and said that the high standard of construction would be kept in view for which the engineering section should perform its responsibilities by using all-out professional skill and qualities.

He urged upon durable and strong construction of roads and streets and maintained that the durability of public welfare and regional development schemes would provide benefits to the citizens for long time. He said that the construction sector was very important and significant relating to promotion of economic activities and generating employments. He emphasised upon following all guidelines and priorities of government regarding the incentive package of Prime Minister Imran Khan in construction sector and said that the FDA should play due role for the success of construction sector.

The Director General said that all precautionary measures against coronavirus should be adopted strictly during construction process for taking care of health of workforce engaged for development projects.

Chief Engineer Shahid Mehmood briefed the meeting about the status of ongoing development schemes and informed that tenders had been invited for initiating new uplift schemes. He said that these schemes would be completed within the span of four months after issuance of work orders.

‘RS 1.91B DISBURSED AMONG 159,774 DESERVING PERSONS: As many as Rs 1.91 billion had been disbursed among 159,774 deserving persons in four district of the Faisalabad division under the first and second phase of the Ehsaas Programme during the last nine days.

It was told by Commissioner Ishrat Ali in a briefing here on Sunday. He said that 164 counters had been set up at 46 centres across the division for implementation on the Ehsaas Programme and Rs 12,000 per person was being provided along with newly registered with rapid pace after biometric verification. He said that during biometric verification, some applicants were also giving their remaining dues and all the process was continued in a transparent manner.

The commissioner said that the deputy commissioners of all four districts, including education and other officers, police, Pak Army and Rangers, were also performing duties, while standard arrangements for sitting in classrooms of deserving persons, including drinking water, was also ensured at the centres.

He informed that there was also available sanitizer on the entrance of the centres to facilitate the public while social distancing was also being maintaining to protect the people from coronavirus.

NINE FWMC WORKERS SENT BACK TO THEIR HOMES: Nine Faisalabad Waste Management Company workers have been sent back to their homes who were on duty with pilgrims for the last one-and-a-half month at the quarantine centre of PARS Campus on Jhang Road.

The workers would complete another 14 days quarantine period at their homes from a medical point of view while 15 other workers had been replaced.

FWMC CEO Kashif Raza Awan and Assistant Commissioner Sadar Umar Maqbool presented bouquets and other gifts to the staff and appreciated their performance. They said that although the workers provided services to the pilgrims and they would keep themselves isolated. The workers thanked the district administration and said that they would remain always ready to serve humanity and continue to perform their duties with diligence and dedication in the future also.